The Ballad of Katara
by Blackfire the Kitsune
Summary: Avatar done Mulan style. Katara is young awkward girl from a small village who doesn't fit in anywhere. But when her father is called away to war she is compelled to take his place. In the army she meets new friends and a handsome captain named Zuko.
1. A Funny Girl that Katara

So I got this writing exercise where you take something new and twist it so it's like something old. Well, I was on an avatar fanart binge when I saw this and I just got done doing The Land of Dragons in KH2 (my second time around) so I thought, why not. And for those of you who are idiots, Mulan is a Chinese myth and traditional ballad. However, I'm gonna have to leech off the Disney adaptation. They will maintain their appearances and names and personalities, to a point.

Zuko Shang. Son of a great war general, Zuko wants nothing more than to become as powerful as his father.

Katara Mulan. A girl from a backcountry village. Katara never really fit in anywhere at home, maybe she will in the army?

Sokka Yao. A show off from a neighboring village to Katara's. He likes Katara a lot, in a plutonic sense. He treats her like a kid sister anytime they meet. He's already married to Suki.

Aang Chien Po. A quiet monk from the village shrine. Aang is quiet but full of smiles and good humor. He's not fat like his Disney counterpart.

Jet Ling. A man from another village who likes the ladies. He finds himself attracted to Katara, despite the fact he thinks she's a girl. It rather horrifies him.

Toph Mushu (don't hurt me!) an ancestral guardian from Katara's family shrine. Toph is having problems gaining respect in the eyes of the ancestors because they think she is small and weak. And short tempered…

Momo Criky like character. Momo is a Pygmy Mouse Lemur that Katara rescues from her Grangran's clutches. She lets him go when she leaves to join the army, but he follows her.

Fire Lord Ozai Shan-yu. A ruthless barbarian who thinks himself very superior to all. He fights his way into Avatar and is the villain of this story.

Iroh Emperor. A kind and humorous man. Iroh is quiet and very wise. He has a habit of sneaking out of the palace for days at a time to live amongst his people so he can have a good grip on what his people need.

Appa Katara's horse. Neigh?

So there it is. I'll be making a few changes to the story line, nothing major. I'm playing KH2, specifically the Mulan part, listening to music from Memoirs of a Geisha (the book is better) and doing research.

Shame on me I have forgotten two things. A disclaimer: I don't own or pwn Avatar. And BENDING! I've thought about it and bending will be in the story. But it's place will take some explaining. Everyone can bend and with all four elements. However, it is looked down upon when a woman fire bends. Just as men are laughed at when they water bend. Earth and Air are neutral elements. Also, I've decided that these events will take place in the country of Avatar.

Men and Bending: Men use fire bending for fighting and farming (making soil fertile by burning it) they use water bending to water their crops and draw water from the ground in wartimes. They avoid it if they can. They use earth bending in fighting and farming as well as air.

Women and Bending: women use fire bending only in cooking. And sometimes not even then. They mostly water bend as an art and for cooking. Earth and Air Bending for household chores. Women are discouraged from Bending too much in one day.

May I present

**The Ballad of Katara **

**Chapter One**

**A Funny Girl that Katara**

It was a warm spring afternoon in the small village of Muigi. Men were still in the fields tending to crops as women and children stayed inside to avoid the heat. Kanata was inside preparing dinner for her family. Normally she would have her daughter, Katara, helping her. But she'd been invited to tea with some of the village girls. The poor girl had such a hard time fitting in; it was impossible to deny her pitiful eyes. But if Kanata had any real sense she would send for her daughter and save her from the punishment she now endured.

Katara sat on her knees, traditional style, pretending to listen to the girls chatter around her. Really she was watching a cherry blossom on the verge of falling from it's branch. No wonder people found cherry blossoms so interesting, they were a fascinating reprieve from a boring conversation. But soon the bloom worked itself free from the branch and drifted gracefully to the ground. Her entertainment gone, Katara turned her attention to her human company. There were four other girls who sat around the table giggling conspiratorially amongst each other.

"Did you see her kimono?" Chindan asked the other girls in a whisper, "She must have just finished tying her obi when they found her." The girls all giggled. Chindan's laughter was the quietest of them all, but the most irksome.

Junshin, a kind girl who had offered the invitation to Katara, looked around in confusion, "Why was her kimono off?" Katara smiled lightly, though not in mockery. Junshin was kind and innocent; sex was not the first place her mind always went. Hokori smirked lightly, but said nothing.

"Junshin, do you have anymore of these delicious rice cakes?" asked Yoku, her voice was, as usual, bored. This was the fifth time she had asked for more food. Junshin excused herself to get more. She soon came back with more cakes and a fresh pot of tea. She kneeled down and prepared to pour tea for her guests, but Yoku moved to stop her, "Wait, lets let Katara pour the tea."

Katara looked up when her name was said, "What?" she asked stupidly.

"Do your tea pouring trick." Yoku demanded. The other girls looked at her in interest.

"Okay." She said quietly. She took the teapot from Junshin and put it in the center of the table. Then, kneeling with her hands poised over the table, she closed her eyes and focused. The teapot began to rise slowly as she bent the tea soaked water inside without letting it slip out the spout or lid. It continued to ascend 'til it hovered three feet above the table. Carefully she began to bend the liquid out of the pot and into the cups of her friends. When the last drop left the teapot it wobbled and began to fall. Katara's hand flashed out and caught it. The girls clapped enthusiastically.

"How in the world did you learn that?" asked Chindan, her eyes ambivalent with excitement.

"Practice, boredom." Katara answered quietly, but with a smile, "I enjoy it." She bit her lip. Girls were not supposed to enjoy Bending. They pretended not to notice.

"You're very good at it." Said Yoku, she took an appreciative sip of her tea and was pleased to find it still warm. They sat and talked for a while longer, but the sun was setting, and Katara needed to go home. She soon excused herself and left.

"Poor thing." Said Junshin, one hand halfway to her mouth, as though she was about to cover it in sympathy.

"The only reason she knows tricks like that is because she spends her spare time practicing." Hokori said, slight bitterness evident in her voice. Chindan eyes sparkled as she drank in the information being spoon fed to her.

"Perhaps we should spend more time with her." Junshin said as she sipped her tea.

"Oh lets not." Yoku said quickly, "She is so odd. Sometimes she says the weirdest things." Chindan and Hokori agreed with her and began to regal each other with stories about Katara.

By now Katara had arrived home and was stepping out of her well-worn sandals and into just as worn, but far more comfortable, slippers. Kanata rushed from the kitchen, "Well?" she asked impatiently.

"It was nice." Katara said enthusiastically, "I showed them my tea Bending trick." She said proudly. But Kanata frowned.

"Katara, how many times have I told you not to show off those ridiculous tricks of yours? It is unbecoming of a young lady." Katara lowered her head in proper shame, "Go fetch Grangran please. She's in the courtyard getting the animals inside, help her, then come in for supper." Katara nodded her head and trotted outside to her Grandmother, Kana. She'd once been a beautiful and demure woman. Age had given dignity and spice. As one of the oldest members of the village she no longer bothered to act like a normal woman, Katara respected her greatly.

"Grangran." Katara chimed as she stepped into the courtyard. The old woman was bent over a bush struggling with something in her hands. Whatever it was must be urgent because Appa, the family horse, was standing with his reins trailing in the dirt and the courtyard gate was wide open. Appa was a great and placid horse with few cares in the world, he was quite happy with his life on the farm and didn't bolt for the gateway to freedom. Freedom didn't give him lumps of sugar. Katara rushed forward and grabbed his reins. Grangran turned around as Katara stood up, "What are you doing?" she asked curiously.

The old woman held a small cage in her hands with an even smaller monkey inside, "This little guy's been stealing from our food for several weeks. He's no native to our lands, someone must have lost him." The poor little thing looked terrified, it was only six inches tall and had huge brown eyes. It's fur was creamy white.

"Oh Grangran." Katara said with a sigh, "What are you going to do with him?" Grangran offered the cage to her and Katara took it automatically.

"There, now he's your problem." Said the old woman with finality. Katara gave her grandmother a dry stare but held the cage carefully in her hands. She had a larger cage that had once housed a canary in her room. It could be a nice home for the poor little guy. She'd have to find a better way to lock it. Monkeys were clever and he would probably figure out how to operate the simple latch.

"Lets put Appa away and go in to dinner." Katara said warmly. Kana smiled up at her granddaughter and nodded her head in agreement.

* * *

"I swear I saw something over here!" Lu Ten cried as he raced over the rocky landscape, his friend, Sozin, followed with some difficulty.

"Define…" huff "…something!" cried Sozin.

"A big something! Lots of men coming from a gap in the wall." Lu Ten disappeared behind an outcropping as Sozin stopped to catch his breath.

"All the gaps are heavily guarded Lu Ten! There's no way an army could have gotten in through there." Silence, "Don't be angry just cause you're paranoid." Muttered Sozin as he walked around the corner after his friend.

However, instead of coming face to face with Lu Ten, he came face to face with a thousand arrows. The two boys were backed up against a wall together and waited for death to come. But nothing happened, no man let his arrow fly. Instead they lowered their weapons as a tall, heavily muscled man walked into their midst. These men were barbarians, with oily unwashed hair and dirt-smeared skin. This man was no different, but his clothes were nicer, and something about the way he carried himself made him seem in charge. This was Hun Leader Ozai. His men stepped back respectively. Ozai observed Lu Ten and Sozin quietly. Taking in their army uniforms and carefully kept, though unused, weapons.

Finally he spoke, in a voice like a wave crashing over the hull of a small ship, "Congratulations boys, you've found the Hun army." The men snickered and laughed mockingly. Sozin's skin crawled, they would die here.

Next to him Lu Ten swallowed hard, "Our armies will crush you!" he said bravely, though his voice wavered.

"Will they now?" his voice purred, "Why would the great Emperor Iroh raise his armies against an invited guest." The boys looked at him stupidly, "He invited me here when he built this Great Wall to try and keep me out. I've answered his invitation, and I brought a steaming bowl of Hun warriors as a warming present." His men laughed outright at this. He was silent as he looked the boys over again, "I do hate surprising my host; seems rude to me. Go." He signaled to his men to give room for them to leave, "Tell your Emperor of my coming." Both boys stared at him stupidly, "Well?" They took off at a run, racing awkwardly across the rocks in their panic. They were two specks scurrying over the stones when Ozai asked a nearby archer, "How many boys does it take to deliver a message." In answer the archer raised his bow and shot down Lu Ten.

He sprawled across the rocks, dead before he hit the ground. Sozin stopped for a spilt second before he kept on running. But the image of his friend's blood spurting from his wounds and the arrow sticking in the rock before him stayed affixed in his minds eye.

* * *

Katara sat uncomfortably before her father as he gazed down on her. Hakoda was a kind and fair man with a passionate love for his family. Kanata had always considered herself lucky to have been married to him, but sometimes he took his role as caretaker for the family too seriously. He walked with a limp from an old wound from when he had fought to protect his family in Avatar's last war, "My child, you are sixteen years old. It is high time you took on a husband." Hakoda declared. Katara lowered her head to show her submission. She wanted nothing more to bring her family honor than by getting a good match by the matchmaker. Part of the reason they had waited so long was because they were unsure if anyone would have her for a wife. But they could hardly wait any longer. Kanata was unable to bear any more children, she could not provide her husband a proper heir. It was out of pure love that he did not abandon her for a more suitable woman.

Katara had always been envious of her mother and father's relationship. All she could do was pray that she would find a husband as good for her as Hakoda was for Kanata, "In three days you will see the matchmaker along with your friends." Katara nodded in response to her mother, "You will spend the next day fasting and reading this." She handed her daughter a worn scroll. On it was written the duties of a wife, "If you have anything to say, say it now. You will not be able to speak from the setting of the sun today until the setting of the sun tomorrow."

Katara looked at her family gathered around her and smiled, "I love you all." She said quietly. Her mother, father, and grandmother smiled and returned the favor. She hugged her family before turning to her room. It was a small and modest room. The rice paper walls were fainted, but on them were pictures she had painted herself, pictures of dragons and great warriors. Lots of them were depictions of her favorite scenes from legends and fables. Her favorite was one that her mother had painted for her. It was a rabbit sitting alone on a hill, staring at the full moon. She had been born under the sign of the rabbit. When she was little she hadn't cared for her animal symbol, but now she liked it. She let her fingers trail over the faded artwork, there wouldn't be precious things like this when she got married. She looked mournfully at the scroll by her bed and decided to leave it for morning. No use studying it all night and day and being to sleep loopy to remember anything.

The next day was spent in silence as she poured over the scroll. By midmorning she had transferred Momo the monkey into the hallway. He'd been excited that she was spending a lot of time in her room and was getting noisy. But not matter how many distractions she got rid of, she had a hard time focusing on the scroll. Some of this seemed just plain stupid. _Never speak unless spoken too. Make sure there's enough tea in your husband's cup before anyone else's. Be submissive. Be silent when your husband beats you._ That last one really got her dander up. If someone was to hit her she was liable to hit back, though she tried not to. She spent lunchtime outside to escape the smells coming from the kitchen. Quietly she walked in their small garden, skipping from stepping stone to stepping stone without looking and resting in the branches of their cherry tree. In the afternoon she meandered into the barn and sat in Appa's stall reading while he investigated her, lipping her hair affectionately. By the end of the day she was frustrated, why did she have to know how to hold her wrist when pouring tea for her husband, or son, or visiting great-aunt?

She had finished reading and was waiting outside with her family while watching the sunset. The scroll was by her feet on the raised section of walkway. Finally all that was left was twilight. Kanata turned to her daughter, "What have you learned Katara." It was a scary question for her to ask. She knew that her daughter had been having trouble reading the scroll. Every so often she had heard indignant snorts of impatience escape her silent daughter throughout the day.

Katara gazed up at her mother and her family gazed back. In their eyes she saw something. Desperation. She was so unusual, even she wanted to get married, but she could not get past her unique way of thinking and behaving. Her family loved her, but desperately wanted her to be normal. She desperately wanted to be normal, "Much." She answered simply. They all breathed sighs of relief.

"Tomorrow you will go to Kyoshi Village with your mother and Grandmother so that you may prepare for the matchmaker." Katara nodded.

The next day she awoke early, fed Momo and hooked Appa up to the wagon. After a quick breakfast the three women set off for Kyoshi. Katara was excited about the preparation. In Kyoshi lived two of her best, if only, friends. Sokka and Suki. They were married. Sokka had been a like a big brother for years and Suki was like a twin sister. She wasn't quite as odd as Katara, but she didn't try to condone her behavior as others did. It was to Suki's mother house that they traveled, Suki, her mother, Kanata, and Kana would all be making her over so that she would be ready to see the matchmaker when the sun rose the next day. She was slightly dreading Sokka's teasing, but she would endure anything to make her family happy.

It wasn't long before the green rooftops of Kyoshi Village came into sight. Standing just outside the city gates was a very large man and a tiny woman. Sokka was very tan and heavily muscled from working the forge in Kyoshi, humor danced in his eyes as he watched the wagon, driven by Katara, get closer. Suki looked proud and excited. Katara pulled the wagon up short and looked at her two friends smiling.

"Well, well. It's about time our little Katara got married." He proclaimed loudly. Sokka was never quiet, "Ya know, Suki n' me are plannin' on comin' back to Muigi with ya so we can see be there for ya." Katara looked surprised. She wasn't expecting that. She looked away, blushing. She was truly loved by many.

"Come on." Suki said offering her hand to Kana to help her down, "Sokka drive their wagon back to the farm, we've got work to do." Suki took Katara's hand and inspected her dirty nails ignoring Katara slicing glare.

"Yes wife." Sokka said in false humbleness. He leapt up onto the seat where Katara had been sitting and flicked Appa's reins, "None of your tricks please, beast of evil." Appa loved to torment Sokka. Katara watched as he drove off.

"You're very lucky Suki." Katara said quietly, "Sokka is so kind and funny."

"Don't worry." Suki said, "You'll make a good match. And if ya don't and he beats you, come tell us. We'll take care of it." They all laughed. But somewhere in the back of her mind she felt like she might have to do just that.

Katara was an unusually tall girl, almost five feet six inches, with tan skin and dark brown hair. Her most defining feature was her blue eyes. The first thing on their list was a bath. For this she was allowed privacy. The bath was warmed by a wood fire and felt very nice. It was very good on her nerves. She washed carefully, but when she was done Suki poured water over her head and began to scrub relentlessly at her hair while Kanata went to work on her nails. Katara gave several small cries of pain throughout the process while Kana and Suki's mother looked on with identical looks of humor on their faces. She had a full hour or so of peace while her hair dried. But too soon Suki's mother attacked it expertly. Katara found her hair twisted this way and that as the doomed woman tried to manage her wild hair. Halfway through the process Suki got up and slammed a fist on the door. There was a surprised shout form the other side, "No peaking!" she shouted as Sokka scurried away. The girls all laughed; though Katara's became strangled at her hair was painfully pulled again causing them all to laugh harder. Soon her hair was done, though her request for a mirror was denied.

It was around dinnertime now, and she was allowed to eat before they put make up on her. It would come off later tonight, but they needed to plan so that they could be swift and accurate in the morning. Katara had yet to see her new kimono, but they soon began to discuss it. The major thing she heard was blue, which was good. She liked blue, it went well with her skin. Soon they were dashing brushes across her face and she felt she knew what her rice paper walls went through. The white stuff that went on her skin was uncomfortable. She complained so.

"Be thankful we're not like the grand ladies that have to wear this stuff everyday. Can you imagine bringing in the harvest in this makeup?" Kanata asked the others. They looked back at her in horror. After what seemed like hours they declared they were done, and once again Katara was denied a mirror.

Throughout the rest of her day her hands were repeatedly slapped away from her face. When she poked her cheek or forehead she only felt a slight pressure, there was no sensation of touch. They told her she would get used to it, but she very much did not like it. However, she bit her tongue and did not complain. By now the sun was setting and they began to put her dress on her. It was all silks and gauze and floated like a dream. This she did like. The dress was light and in varying shades of blue with hints of lavender. The sleeves were long and the dress's hem kissed the ground when she stood still. They made her practice walking without tearing out them hem. She got that down easily; she enjoyed the sighing the garment made when she moved properly. Just before dinner, Kanata showed her daughter how to pour tea without trailing her sleeve in the teacup.

And finally Sokka was allowed in. He bounded in the room loudly shouting that he wanted to see what they had done to his little sister. She was waiting in the garden by herself when Suki lead her husband outside and left him there. Katara stood with her back to him, staring at the miniature waterfall. She heard Sokka sigh, "Turn around little coward." So she did. Very slowly. When she finally gathered the courage to stare into his face he was looking at her with pride. He walked forward and carefully brushed a strand of hair out of her face and kissed her forehead, "You make us proud little sister." Finally Katara was thankful for the thick layer of white make up.

Dinner was full of laughs and help tips from the women. The matchmaker dealt with men and women from Muigi, Kyoshi and Yoroido. Which meant that she could end up with men from any of them. They discussed who the possibilities were and their different qualities. Katara served tea and was very quiet. Sokka understood her silence, but said nothing. After dinner she and Suki went back to the bathroom to dislodge the caked makeup, removed the complicated dress and lastly unwind her hair. She scrubbed her face until it was blotchy red and pulled a brushed through her unusually straight hair. As they loaded up into the wagon to travel back to Muigi Sokka whispered something in her ear that gave her strength to face the day, "You looked very beautiful as a woman tonight. But when I see you like this I see that you are a naturally beautiful person anyway."

The next morning was spent in a rush. Yesterday it had taken many hours to get her ready. Now everyone flew around her in haste, though still with precision. Within an hour she was once again the beautiful woman from last night, though she did not welcome the return of the mask. The sun was beginning to rise as she stepped in the courtyard with her new paper umbrella, ready to march to the matchmaker with the rest of the girls. Her father was waiting for her with a package in his hands. She walked over to him, awkward in her tall shoes, and nearly saw eye to eye with him. He slowly unwrapped the gift to reveal a set of hairpins made to look wisteria branches. Wisterias were her favorite flowers. He gently placed them where her hair gathered in the back and everyone stepped back to admire. She couldn't see it. But she gave the illusion of a graceful stream with a wisteria tree dipping it's blooms in the cool water. Sokka was to walk her to the main street, then let her go on alone.

As the door shut behind them Katara stopped and stared at the slowly brightening sky, "What's wrong?" he asked quietly, though he already knew.

"I feel… wrong." Was all she said as she returned her gaze to the street before her and began to walk. Sokka would never say it, but she looked wrong. Of course she looked beautiful, but she didn't look like Katara. But then, he had never been sure what Katara was supposed to look like.

They walked together to the main street where the other girls were waiting, looking beautiful as well. She stood in the shadows for a minute watching them talk, she knew that now matter how much make up and instruction she received she would never be one of them. She opened her umbrella and stepped into the light, Sokka stayed in the shadows to watch them leave. They all turned to look at her. Only Junshin offered any signs of friendship in her eyes. Katara smiled at them warmly.

"Shall we?" they all opened their umbrellas and laid them across their shoulders, shading themselves from the morning sun as they began to make their way up the street towards their destinies.

* * *

And there it is! Holy crap! This is something new for me. I just sat down and wrote… I started this idea at about 8pm and it's 4 am now. Not to mention this is the single longest thing I've ever sat down at once and written. Usually I write things randomly, but… wow. I've amazed myself. Anyway, this all kind of started as a writing exercise, but I dare say I love it. Anyway, I have to get up in four hours. I should finish this up.

Hidden Crap

The name of Katara's village, Muigi, is Japanese for insignificant.

The four girls of Muigi have Japanese names

Chindan means gossip

Hokori is pride

Yoku is greed

And Junshin is purity and sincerity. I didn't want it to be all negative

The three villages the matchmaker presides over is Muigi, Kyoshi from Avatar the Last Airbender and Yoroido, Saiyuri's home from the novel Memoirs of a Geisha.

The chapter title 'a funny girl that Katara' is from the opening song in Beauty and the Beast. A Funny girl that Belle.

This story is gonna have a mixture of Japanese and Chinese culture. Anyway, I hope ya'll like it… I'ma gonna go ta bed now… dies


	2. The Never Bloomer

I've rated this fic T for Teen because I'm not afraid to rend flesh from bone and go into gory detail about it.

This is not a full out Zutara. I've placed Katara and Zuko where they are for personality reasons. Yes, Zuko and Katara will get together in this fic, they have to. But I did not write this for the purpose of writing a Zutara. However, I will not deny that I am a Zutara supporter.

Please give me reviews. They're like my crack. And I hate having to go down to the review house when I can get them for free from appreciative readers. Saves money.

I don't own Avatar

**Chapter Two **

**The Never Bloomer**

The walk to the matchmaker's home was a long one. Not physically, but emotionally. Katara's heart pounded and despite her best efforts to keep calm she sweated a little. The five girls were expected to walk without tripping, with grace and with demure smiles on their faces. Walking in the tall shoes was hard and tiring, she wished she could have the effect she did last night when she had been inside with no shoes on. She could only do her best. They had to walk in time. Left, right, left, right; and all in sync. She was last in line behind the girls and directly behind Junshin.

Finally the village square came into view and Katara took a deep breath. The five girls fanned out into a line and twirled their umbrellas in front of them as they lowered themselves onto the ground. Hiding themselves from the gaze of the matchmaker, though she hadn't come out of her house yet. It was so she couldn't compare one girl to the other directly. Already people were gathered in the village square, this was a special event, though not every villager was there. But the families of the girls were. Katara knew her family had arrived, though she couldn't see them.

She didn't hear the doors open, and no one made any indication that she had come. So when a dry woman's voice cut through the silence it made her jump, "Greetings ladies." Katara did her best to stifle her squeak of surprise and failed, "Let us begin. Hua Katara." For some reason the woman's dry voice startled her.

"Here!" she shouted a little loudly as she bounced up. The matchmaker was a short woman who was the very essence of feminine beauty. She wore her kimono around her shoulders exposing much skin, to Katara's surprise. Her skin was naturally fair and she bore no makeup except for deep black around her eyes. Poised in her hand was a cigarette, which she smoked through a long thin filter. She must have just taken a puff because she blew smoke out of her mouth in an accelerated stream as she gazed at Katara in mild irritation.

There was a quiet stressful moment while Katara waited to see what the woman's reaction would be, "Come with me." Was all she said. Katara sighed and walked up the few steps into the dark and quiet room. Outside everyone exchanged glances, especially the four remaining girls. Towards the back of the crowd Grangran muttered, "Who spit in her bean curd?" Sokka tried not to laugh.

Katara stood just in front of the closed doors staring at the sophisticated room before her eyes. The tatami straw had been dyed a darker shade than normal, the wood was black brown, and much of the furniture was black lacquered. All around the room were gifts from people all around the three villages. Despite her anxiety she took quick notice of the types of things she saw. Anything decorative or silk was in varying shades of gold, she had many paintings of geishas about her room, and all her furniture was dark. She herself was dark. Her kimono was a dark plum color with black lining, the obi was brown; it was very extravagant. She was very extravagant.

The woman began to walk around Katara like a shark, taking steady draws from her pipe and letting the smoke out of her mouth slowly. Katara did her best not to cough. She used the end of the pipe to tip Katara's head back and poke at her body. She'd been walking so smoothly and calmly that when she suddenly grabbed her arms and spread them against the wall it startled poor Katara into another squeal, "A wife must be quiet and calm." The matchmaker told her. Katara nodded and stayed where she was as the woman inspected her body, "Have you ever lain with a man?"

"No matchmaker." Katara answered automatically.

"Has a man ever forced himself upon you?" she asked again.

"N-no matchmaker." She stuttered in embarrassment.

The woman continued to walk around Katara muttering to herself, "Step out of your shoes and onto the platform." She finally stepped away and walked into the room. Katara stepped out of the tall shoes and onto the raised platform. The matchmaker had obviously been expecting someone shorter, when she turned around she started at staring Katara's neck, "You're very tall aren't you? Not as tall as a man, but taller than most women." In other words not dainty, thought Katara. The matchmaker left her and walked towards into another room. Uncomfortable, Katara stayed where she was. Soon enough she came back with a teapot and two cups, "Please." She said indicating that Katara should sit down. Without the shoes she could once again move gracefully, she sank onto a silver cushion and waited for her instruction. The matchmaker joined her by the table and offered her the teapot, "Pour the tea please."

Shaking only slightly Katara lifted the teapot and poured ever so carefully. She was halfway through pouring the matchmaker's tea when she realized she was receiving another cold stare from her. Looking down at her wrist she realized she was showing too much skin to be proper. Shamed she lowered her sleeve and continued to pour. After that the tea ceremony was uneventful. But then she brought a piece of parchment and a calligraphy brush, "Write a letter to your mother." She said. Katara prepared her ink carefully, but as she pulled it close to dip her brush in she spilled it, all over the matchmaker's beautiful kimono. For a split second Katara wasn't sure who she was more sorry for, herself or the kimono. But then she was sure.

The woman pulled her lips light, her black eyes raged, "I've kept silent on many things. Your way of walking, speaking out… but this." She stood up to yell down at Katara, "This kimono costs more than you will ever imagine! I've seen your type before! Outspoken, unruly, different! Want to know what they do now? They sit alone in their father's houses! Alone, unhappy, suicidal!" Katara tried to get up, but her foot caught on the hem of her dress and her fist slammed down on the table. Right into her teacup. The matchmaker's eyes flared, "Out! Get out!" Katara got up and started to run towards to the door, "Clumsy! Tall! Uncoordinated! Ugly!" Katara threw open the doors and stumbled into the courtyard. She was just beginning to turn around when her shoes slammed into the back of her head and sent her forward into the mud, "Women like you will never marry. Woman like you should never marry! You may produce more of your kind! Get out of my sight! NOW!" The doors slammed shut and Katara's family came around her.

"Katara?" asked Suki, "Katara?" she shook her shoulder lightly, but it only served to give life to her panic. Katara jumped up and took off at a quick run. She was soon home and threw open the doors. She hadn't noticed but her father had gone home early because of his bad leg bothering him. Now he came out to see his daughter, hope evident on his face. They locked eyes for an instant before Katara rushed past him, through the house and into the garden in the back of the house. She didn't even bother to use the stepping-stones as she splashed through the small stream disturbing the peaceful Koi fish and single turtle. When she reached the cherry blossom trees she threw herself into it's branches with practiced ease and worked her way into the most hidden part of the branches. No one could see her, though they knew exactly where she went. The tree was her favorite place for anything. And right now it was her favorite place for crying. She didn't care that her hair came undone and the beautiful pins fell on the ground. She didn't care that the dress was probably ruined. And she definitely didn't care that her tears were messing up her makeup.

Later she saw her family return. She watched as her confused father rushed to his wife and demand an explanation. Then even later she watched as Sokka and Suki left. Sokka ridiculously turned and waved at the cherry tree before he and his wife began their journey on foot back home. It was late that night, the moon in full view, when her father came out to her tree and stood underneath it's eaves. He was looking directly at her without her seeing her. But she could see him. After several minutes of a silent battle she let herself fall from the tree and land on her feet. He looked at her quietly and she wondered if he was angry. But instead Hakoda pulled his daughter into his arms and held her close.

* * *

Ba Sing Se was a beautiful city of white marble and water features. Sitting in the middle of the great walled city was a palace in which lived the Emperor of Avatar. Emperor Iroh. The Emperor was a happy man with a smiling face and wisdom etched into every one of his wrinkles. But today he did not smile. He sat upon his throne frowning deeply at the commander before him.

"This is terrible and disturbing news Commander Zhao." Said Iroh on a deep voice. Zhao nodded his agreement sadly, "How is the boy Sozin?"

"Poorl sir. He went to pieces after delivering the message. He's been slowly putting himself back together. Though he's remembered no new information. All he can remember is Ozai and that there were many men and Lu Ten." The old Commander looked sad despite himself. He'd personally talked with the boy and had left with a bad case of the heebie-jeebies.

"Have you sent anyone to investigate?" asked Iroh as he sipped a cup of tea.

"Yes sir…" his silence caused Iroh to turn the full power of his dark on Zhao, "T-they've either returned half insane like Sozin or not at all."

"Ozai is known for his mind games. He could talk a square into a circle if he wanted." It was a silly analogy, but it made Zhao shivered all the same, "What else is being done?"

Zhao flipped open a book in his hand, "We have men surrounding the palace for your protection. Our current armies are more than enough and-"

"No!" Zhao looked up at the Emperor, "Send my troops to protect my people." His voice and face were stern.

Zhao looked at the Emperor stupidly for a moment, "There are not enough men in the armies to protect the borders and individual villages."

"Raise up men from the villages and train them until the coming spring. In the mean time our current numbers will have to do. Anyway, our autumn and winter will force them to stop." With a sigh of finality he poured himself another cup of tea and drank deeply. Zhao waited to see if he would say anymore, "What, would you like some tea before you go? I don't mind sharing, it's my favorite. Jasmine." Zhao laughed a doomed man's laugh and climbed the dais to join his Emperor in a soothing cup of Jasmine tea.

* * *

Spring in the land of Avatar was beautiful. Cherry blossoms were in full bloom, gentle showers caressed the land, and women flirted delicately with men from behind folded fans. However the gentle rains and swollen streams caused there to be mud. Lots of it. In the Imperial City there were hired people to attend to the problem. But in the smaller villages everyone pitched in to help.

Katara groaned loudly and pulled with all her might, "Come on!" she switched so that the rope she was tugging was over her shoulder so she could walk forward and pull. Next to her Appa's heavy muscles strained against his harness which was currently equipped with grappling chains. On the other side of him were two village boys, Haru and Longshot. They were all pulling against a stump, which had been yet unmovable for two years running. Katara was ankle deep in thick mud and had long ago thrown fancies, such as being bale to clean her clothes when she got home, to the wind.

Haru had come to Katara's home yesterday to ask that she bring Appa to his farm so he could help pull. But she'd surprised them by coming dressed in a simple white top and gray pants. At first they'd refused her help, but soon they didn't care who was helping as long as all the ropes were manned. She slipped again, but got up quickly to pull again, "Yip… yip!" she said through clenched teeth. Appa gave off a deep whicker that reverberated through his chest as he picked up strength again.

"HEAVE!" shouted Haru, and all three humans threw their weight forward at once. At first it seemed like nothing had happened, but then the stump made the oddest noise, like Thwack! And they all fell forward into the mud as the stump came free. Katara fell onto her hands and was officially covered from head to toe in mud. Beside her Appa rolled upright and stood before shaking an outer layer of mud onto the humans. She stayed on the ground, panting heavily, still in disbelief of what she had done. Up until this morning she'd been planning to drop by with Appa and stay to help Haru's mother. Somewhere along the line they'd gone outside to see that only two ropes were being pulled. She'd originally worn the plain outfit so when she walked Appa home and washed him down she wouldn't ruin anything important. But Haru was calling hoarsely for someone to help them and she found herself down in the mud whispering encouragement to her overgrown horse and groaning as she pulled with all her might. The little extra bit was enough and the stump was free.

"Here." Katara looked up into green eyes and an offered hand. She took it and he helped her up, "Thanks for your help." He said he tried to wipe some mud off her shoulder.

"It's alright." She said with a smile. She didn't see it, but a small blush flitted a across his cheeks, "I should get home. The last thing I need is for this mud to dry, on me or Appa." Jet and his mother saw her to the road, but after that it was just she and her giant horse. The sun had set and the mud was very cold, she shivered and drew closer to Appa, "Well, at least my skin will be lily soft for a few days." She said with a sarcastic smile to herself.

Lately Katara had not been caring about how people saw her. The other four village girls would have nothing to do with her. The matchmaker had refused to see them and left for Yoroido first thing in the morning. No one had heard from her since. Though a rumor was going around that she had sent for her rooms in Muigi to be emptied and that she refused to return. In reply to this she stubbornly stopped her ears and refused to listen. It was not her fault that she was clumsy; the woman had scared her into a stupor. As she walked through the town, trailing mud, she passed Chindan's house. The girl was outside talking with Hokori, but both scowled at her and went inside when she passed. She refused to look at them.

Finally she stood before her own gate and pushed it open. Her family was gathered in the courtyard. The broom was lying next to her mother in the dirt and it looked as though it had been there for a while. Hakoda sat on the raised walkway around the house with his head in his hands as Kana rubbed his back. Both of her parents had letters in their hands. Immediately she knew something was wrong.

"Please." She said stepping in and closing the gate, "What is going on?" Neither her father nor mother would look at her, had she done something wrong again?

Kana stepped forward, "We've received two surprising letters today." She said quietly.

"Good news first please." Katara said automatically.

"Suki is pregnant." Her mother offered, "But Sokka will not be there for the birth, or the pregnancy for that matter. Neither will your father." The last sentence was choked out. Confused Katara looked at her father and spotted the crumbled letter in his hands. It's seal was that of a dragon facing the left. It was the seal of Emperor Iroh, the Dragon of the West. If her father and Sokka were not going to be here, and it had something to do with the Emperor…

"No!" she cried loudly into the silence, "Father you can't. You have already served the Emperor once before and look what it did to our family!"

"It is an honor to serve Lord Iroh and protect my family." He said in a raspy voice.

"Surely there must be something else we can give the Emperor in exchange for your services." Hakoda lifted his head and glared at her, "If you leave you will not come back!"

"Silence!" he cried, Katara whimpered, "Do you know how much dishonor that would bring the family?"

"Who cares about honor?" Kanata dropped the letter in her hand, "Honor! Dishonor! They are just words! They only become real when you let them." Hakoda strode across the space between them and struck his daughter. Kana ran to the gates and locked them before making sure no one was outside them.

"Listen to the blasphemous words my daughter speaks!" he said in a rumbling rage. Katara looked up at her father, she knew she had angered him and did not hold the strike against him, "I have worked hard in life to come to the place I am now. I work to feed my family and fight to protect them. I know my place. But you. You are young and foolish. You stand here before me when you should be in your husbands house, not mine. You've traveled a hard journey by choice. It is time you made the right decisions and found your own place!" he turned and marched into the house without looking at his horror struck wife, his shamefaced mother, or his broken daughter. The atmosphere was horrible enough to make Appa prance nervously, something was wrong in his usually normal life. He looked at all the humans present, trying to find the problem. But all of them glowed with the light of guilt.

"Katara." Kanata said quietly, moving towards her daughter, "Do not listen to your father, he is emotional." She said soothingly.

"No." Katara whispered, "He is right." She grabbed Appa's reins and led him into the middle of the courtyard where she gave him a quick bath before putting him into his stall. Her face downcast, she made her way into the garden. Overhead the sky was rumbling angrily, threatening a storm. Her feet lead her to the base of her tree, but she could not summon the strength in her arms to pull herself up into it's reassuring branches. Instead she sat on the ground and refused to move.

Her family ate dinner with the doors open, despite the promise of bad weather, and spoke loudly for her benefit; "We'll bring Suki here. Sokka is our son essentially." Hakoda agreed quietly. He didn't feel it necessary to include her in the conversation. Halfway through the meal her mother became fed up and left the table. He tried to talk to his mother, but she ate quietly and left him as well. He cleaned the table, usually a woman's chore, and closed the doors against the rain.

Silence fell upon the garden. That is if you counted Appa being restless in his stable and the rain tearing apart to foliage and the nearly audible electric tension in the air silence. But these were things Katara could easily close her mind to. What was really distracting was the wave of emotions crashing around in her brain. Ideas breached the crests in pods of a hundred as larger epiphanies begged to be heard above the calls of their brothers. She shoved her fingers into her ears, but that only made it worse. The only way to silence the onslaught was to face it head on.

"Quiet!" she screamed into her mind. Abruptly the waves stopped their rolling and the many voices of her mind stopped to listen. The ideas and realizations bobbed on the surface of her thoughts and she silently reviewed them, stowing some away for later examination and bringing some out for immediate observation and consideration. The first important epiphany was that she needed to stop having a pity party and start taking action.

Quickly she wiped the tears from her eyes and stood. She felt exposed on the ground so she turned to swing up into the tree. But as she did she noticed her mother and father as they stood in their room. The rain made it impossible to make out what they said. But she saw her father try to embrace her mother, and her mother push him away. Sadly her father blew out the lights to go to bed. Remorse eating away at her stomach, she swung into the sturdy branches of her tree and climbed to thickest part of the foliage and found a comfortable position.

What could be done? She wondered quietly. What needed to be done? Her father needed to stay home. They needed him here. Without him, they didn't get food or money to buy food. All things like that would be put on hold until the men came back. With four, potentially five, mouths to feed they'd be forced to drastic measures. She shivered at the horrible things they may have to do. Of course, they couldn't go to war forever, but…

"If father goes into battle he won't come back will he?" she asked a small branch that swung in her face. It bobbed from side to side, slave to the winds outside the shelter of the tree. But it was enough of an answer for her. Hakoda had never been the same since he had returned from Avatar's last war.

Sokka's father, Bato, and Hakoda had been friends long before the war. Katara and Sokka had known each other forever. Sokka often claimed the he remembered when she was born. And if she thought hard enough she realized he had always been there. Bato had died in the war. In fact Hakoda had been injured trying to protect his friend. Other comrades said that he became godlike in his fighting after his friend died. That was the reason why he felt so much pain now; he hadn't allowed the wound to heal correctly.

Shaking her head slightly, Katara returned to the situation at hand. What could her family spare for the Emperor? The silence in her tree fort abruptly became deafening. She rolled and let herself fall to the ground, landing on her feet was a matter of instinct. The silence was making her feel sick and there was a sheen of sweat on her face from being in an enclosed place in humid weather for too long. She needed the rain to wash it away.

She shivered as she left the shelter of the tree and the cold rain hit her skin. _What is expendable? _She asked the downpour.

Images flashed before her mind's eyes. Her father sowing the fields outside Muigi faster than the younger uninjured boys. Her mother cooking and cleaning with an efficiency she would never master. Grangran saying the right thing at just the right moment to diffuse the situation. Suki working relentlessly on any task placed before her. Sokka pounding red hot metal in the smithy of Kyoshi making tools and the occasional artistic commission. Then she saw herself. Sitting and watching everyone work. Sokka would have to go to war, but he would be fine. Her father, he would not be fine.

She'd asked the rain, what is expendable, "Me. I'm expendable." She said as her own salt tears mixed with the pure rain, diluting it.

* * *

Ok, I'm officially going to be posting Thursdays and Fridays. Post time can be anywhere from very late Wednesday night to very late Friday night.

This was a little hard to write because of the last part. It was such an important factor, her realizing what she needed to do. And also the part that leads to the meat of the story. Anyway, yeah.

Just so ya'll know. When I write I write over the course of a week. Then when I'm done I leave it alone until Thursday and re-read it after a break. This is so I can see all the places I've messed up, grammatically and storyline. Then I run a spell check. If my eyes and word don't catch it, it doesn't get fixed until it's pointed out to me when I listen to my best friend read it over the phone. Also the fanfiction system for posting stories can mess up your document.

Hidden Crap

Although I didn't touch the scene, in Mulan she has a discussion with her father about the late bloomer. I've titled this The Never Bloomer for a reason.

Zhao is a commander in the army, but NOT Zuko's father.

Men in Japan find the wrists of a woman as alluring as American men find their legs. Their necks are like full on boobage. Anyway, when Katara is pouring tea for the matchmaker she shows too much wrist. Which in Japan is like bragging about her youth and beauty.

When I write it is usually very early in the morning and with music in my headphones. Chapter one of this fanfic was written while listening to the soundtrack to Memoirs of a Geisha. This chapter was written while listening to the FLCL soundtrack. It had the sound I was looking for and got me in the mood. I'll always tell ya what music I listen to 'cause it really affects my writing and how the story comes out. I may listen to a single song on loop, or a series of works by a specific artist.

… I feel like I should be babbling… or maybe I'm just trying to take up room. I dunno. I hope ya'll liked it. BTW I LOVE reviews. Please comment on my stories.


	3. The Blue Eyed Guardian

Hmm… rated T for violence and language. I don't own Avatar.

I guess I'll do a recap for the heck of it. Katara is the daughter of a. ex-war hero who just doesn't fit in. Despite being dressed up like a normal woman, she cannot change who she is. War with an insane invader threatens the land. Hakoda has been called to war once again. What is expendable, she asks the sky. And so a desperate girl takes fate into her own hands in order to keep that which she holds precious alive. Even if that means she won't be able to see the fruits of her labor.

Have you guys ever watched an anime called Gankutsuou? It'll freakin' mess with your head man. Anyway, that's kind of the reason that the recap sounds so weird. Go watch it on It's Japanese Count of Monte Cristo.

Anyone who knows me, knows I have a problem with loosing interest in my stories. That has not happened with this! This story is late because Okami the video game stole my soul! I've been playing nonstop, which is odd for me. So this will be a Saturday thing. Sorry! However, the game did give me an awesome idea for the fic. No Katara does not have the random ability to control the universe with a brush! But the gods inspired me a lot along with the deep Japanese mythology that this is soaked in.

If you want to know my reason for writing this fic, read my ending comments at the end of this chapter. Also, I took on the daunting task of copying and pasting a list of just about every Avatar character from every episode and writing people parts in my story. Not to mention I sat down and wrote a plot synopsis. **Faints** it took me a while.

**Chapter Three**

**The Blue-Eyed Guardian**

The first thing Katara did was walk calmly into her family shrine. There were many tombs seeming to sprout from one another, clambering to listen to the prayers being uttered, cried and spoken. Sitting at the feet of the largest tomb belonging to the first Hua was a cat. Every time she sat down to pray she found herself patting the thing on the head. It sat on it's hind legs it's paws before it; it's paws were where you placed the incense for prayer. When lit and place it looked as though the cat were offering the incense to the first ancestor. It's ears were tufted and it's tail bobbed, depicting the image of a lynx.

Quietly she stepped into the temple and sat down. She had no incense to offer and she was determined not to procrastinate. She bowed respectfully, touching her forehead to cold marble ground. Slowly she moved into a sitting position, "I am sorry, ancestors. But this is something I must do. I won't ask for your protection, but let this turn out…" she stopped, searching for the right word, "Right." She finished lamely. Quickly she stood and walked out. She felt like she didn't deserve to bow before her ancestors. She did however give the cat a farewell pat.

Outside the whole world seemed to be holding it's breath, though she hardly noticed. The rain had stopped, the air was disturbingly still and the stars were peering through the clouds, beholding the sights before them. Never before had this happened, they were fascinated.

No longer did she move slowly. She walked into the stables, waking Appa who nickered worriedly, and grabbed her saddlebags. Apologizing to her great horse she left the warm scent of hay and unconditional love and stole into her own house. She knew every location of every squeaky board and knew exactly how to open doors so that they didn't screech. First she went to her room. She packed away silk strips for binding her chest and cotton bandaging for monthly troubles. She only owned three sets of plain shirt and pants clothing; they would have to do her. Soon one pack was filled. The other was for armor. Most men had their armor fitted when they reach manhood. She felt bad about stealing her father's armor but knew she had no choice.

As she walked past her parent's room she set her bags on the floor and slid the door open. Her mother was positioned on one extreme side of the bed while her father lay on the other. She felt guilty for causing their fight, but something inside her rebelled against the guilt. Stepping forward confidently she bent down by her parents beside, they wouldn't wake up, they were hard sleepers. On the table by their bed was the transcription notice. To her wild imagination's eye it glowed with an evil light, but she quickly banished the image. She picked it up and replaced it with her wisteria hairpins. She'd been planning to take them with her, to remind herself, but this seemed more fitting.

It was hard leaving their room. She was dying to curl up in between them, as she had so often as a child, and forget all her problems. Instead she took off down the hallway, past Grangran's room, and into the formal dinging room. This is where they held ceremonies for the family; she should have been married in this room. Instead, she now faced a new destiny. She opened the cabinet against the wall and finally stopped for a moment. The armor was leather padding dyed deep green. Her father's trademark color; the helmet had a red plume on top. Lying on a decorative pillow was his sword. Her father was born in the year of the dragon, so his hilt was that of a golden dragon wrapping about the blade. She was almost afraid to grab the blade for fear of being cursed, but cast out such nonsense as superstition brought on by the situation. Reverently she took out the armor and put it away in her saddlebags. She _would_ return the borrowed armor and sword. She just prayed that it wouldn't be something sent back as a notice of death.

Her saddlebags full, Katara walked back into her room as something else popped into her mind. Lying in his wicker cage, was Momo. Ever since she had gotten him a few weeks ago she'd been nothing but amazed at this animal's intelligence. He was quiet and trusted her enough to sit quietly on her shoulder while she did her chores. In fact she often had to pry him from his favorite place, in between her neck and hair, to get him into his cage at night. He hadn't been let out that day. Quietly she grabbed his cage and stole into the night. The cherry tree seemed to glow at her from the darkness, soon she was underneath it's eaves again. She set down her armful and hugged it's trunk. It felt silly and foolish, but necessary. After a moment passed she picked up Momo's cage and was surprised to see the monkey awake. His green eyes were looking straight into hers, seeming to understand the need for silence. The intelligence that flickered there banished all foolishness she felt.

"Momo, I'm leaving now. I'm going to leave your cage open here. If you want to stay with my family, just stay in the cage. If you want to be free, just leave." He blinked ever so slowly at her, "Just promise to do what makes you happy." She opened the door and set the cage on the ground. Then she stuck her finger inside and nuzzled his cheek as means of saying goodbye and walked into the stable. Inside was housed the family's cows, three pigs and Appa. The other animals ignored her, but Appa thundered noisily. He'd been pacing ever since Katara had come in for her saddlebags and the minutes had passed slowly. Katara shook her hands wildly, "Be quiet you great oaf!" she whispered loudly. Appa pranced and snorted for a moment longer before quieting down a little. Katara opened his stall and he rushed towards her, almost knocking her down. He sniffed her thoroughly, trying to find the source of her distress, and by association, his. But the scent that graced her person was foreign and stank of gods who were shoving their noses where they did not belong.

Katara leapt at her horse's momentary lapse in defense and threw his saddle on. They hardly ever used it and it shook him out of his quiet revelations. His twisted to look at her and they locked eyes, Katara summoned as much will into her eyes as she could dredge up from her worn spirit. He looked at her, trying to understand what was going on. Her blue eyes wobbled, "Please don't make me go alone." He had no idea what that meant, but her tone he understood clearly. He relaxed his muscles and turned to face forward. Katara sighed in relief and began to tighten straps and attach her saddlebags. She'd done her best to balance the weight of the bags, but when she tied on the bag with the armor and sword Appa staggered slightly before adjusting for the difference. Quickly he turned to glare at her, Katara smiled slightly and lead her horse outside.

The ground was churned and her house dark. The world was quiet and still, every star, every distant planet, and every Chinese god seemed to hold it's breath as they watched the small girl standing in her family's courtyard. She rocked back and forth between desire and duty. Forward towards her home, and backwards towards her fate. No one or thing could influence her now, it was all her. Only Katara could make this choice. She lifted her foot, and for a moment it looked as though she was going to change her mind. But then she turned a leapt onto her horse's back. Appa knew that if he didn't move fast enough that she would stop. He plunged forward, kicking open the gates, and galloped out of Muigi.

There was an almost audible release of breath as every spiritual witness relaxed.

* * *

As Katara made her way to the camp her father had been assigned to, something happened at home. Her family was still fast asleep, at least, her live ones were. Inside the family shrine, something was stirring. Though Katara had left over half an hour ago, her prayers seemed to ring about in the domed building.

_I'm sorry_

_I must do this_

_Let this turn out right_

It was as though the air was tasting her words, rolling them about on a nonexistent tongue. Slowly old prayers and burnt incense seemed to trail downwards and caress the smooth tombstones of the Hua family. The ethereal smoke traced the name on the largest marker, Hua Roku. The first and most powerful Hua ancestor. The markings glowed blue and the light leaked out of the stone and traveled up into the air. It congealed to form a man with intricately done hair and long beard. The smoke twirled around him and he held out a hand where it twined about his fingers. He studied it intensely before starting in surprise.

Glowing eyes switched their attention to the cat poised at his feet, "Awaken Toph." He said in a commanding voice that resonated within the confined space. No sound leaked into the human world. The stone cat's eyes were closed, but as the seconds passed the eyes snapped open and light blue eyes stared up at Roku. Granite turned to fur as the statue woke up. Soon the cat was stretching long unused muscles.

"Yes ancestor?" it's voice was that of a very sarcastic female. Roku held out the hand with the smoke and let her sniff it, "Interesting." She purred, "And you want me to go fetch her?"

Roku laughed loudly, "No dear Toph! I want you to awaken Hei-Bei. A low level guardian spirit such as yourself is not fit for this job at all! We need a real guardian." Toph's fur bristled and her eyes glowed brightly. But Roku's word was absolute. She could not go against him. Grumbling obscenities loudly she walked out of the shrine, dragging her paws to Katara's tree. There was a reason that Katara felt peaceful in the tree. Hiding within the wood was Hei-Bei, a very powerful entity even for a guardian spirit. Toph padded up and sat at the base of the tree.

She sighed, "Wake up…" she said unenthusiastically, "Waaake up… wake up." She lifted a paw to her eyes and examined the claws. Then she realized that Hei-Bei was not stirring, she glared at the tree before sinking in her claws and dragging them downward. Abruptly she was thrown back and the tree's dark wood glowed brightly.

"Do not take your anger out on me guardian." The voice was weedy and a little old and very sarcastic.

"Roku wants you to go fetch Katara." Toph said, ignoring the stab.

"Roku has no power over me." Said Hei-Bei. The great panda sat down and put a paw on his belly, "Do you have any idea how guardian spirits are created? Both the lower and higher?" Toph glared, she knew exactly how she'd been created, she still remembered it. But she knew that even if she interrupted him, he'd tell her anyway, "Every time woman marries, her husband's ancestors become her own. But her family's guardian spirit still exists It is bumped down in the ranks until it slips into obliteration. But I'm sure you know this. You too were once a powerful guardian spirit. Bout now you are a lowly messenger cat."

"I'm really not in the mood for this." Toph said through gritted teeth.

"You're never in the mood." Hei-Bei said lazily.

"So I am to understand that you want me to do your work?" she said as calmly as she could.

"Yes." He said as he lazily scratched is stomach, "Bad things happen when powerful guardian spirits leave their families too long. You should be fine though." And thus a battle of wills began. They stared at each other, their eyes growing in intensity as time passed. Then from inside the house came a cry of terror.

"KATARA!?" it was Kanata. She'd obviously found that Katara was not in the house. Frantically she ran out to the base of the cherry tree. She could not see the two spirits watching her. She gazed into the branches and ran to her husband who had come outside, "She's not there!" he was holding Katara's wisteria pins in his hands dumbly, as though he could not comprehend their importance. He took off at a shambling run towards the formal room. A few horrifying seconds passed before he let out an anguished cry.

"Will you really ignore them?" Hei-Bei asked.

"I cannot do this! You saw how every celestial being was watching her. This is something big! We low guardians do not do things like this! This is a job for you Hei-Bei, not me." Her voice was reaching a desperate level.

"So says you. But I have more power, I can command it." Toph looked at him in horror. Though the order was not spoken, it was powerful. She took off quickly, ignoring everything else around her. Including the little monkey who clung to her fur. Soon she found herself racing far away from her home in search of Katara.

* * *

The clearing was a good one she felt, quiet and secluded, but within sight of the camp. She'd stopped there last night after two days hard riding. Her muscles throbbed slightly, it had been a rather long time since she had ridden Appa with a saddle. But her body was not what was really bothering her. There was a sheen of sweat on her face that refused to go away, and she felt overwhelming fear in the pit of her stomach that refused to let her keep down any food. Appa was happier now that they had stopped running and that he had free access to the grass in the meadow. He was content to lay down and watch Katara pace nervously.

And pace she did, frantically. In twenty-four hours she would have to report to the camp. Around midday she began to practice speaking in a low voice, which was hard. Despite her efforts to act more masculine she was shaking her hands like a silly woman.

"Yes, I've come to sign in. My name is Katara." She said. But no matter who many different tones she used, Katara was a feminine name. She'd have to invent a new one. She sat and tried out many names of her ancestors, but none sounded good. Perhaps she could think of one before she had to leave in the morning. If she couldn't she'd use a sickeningly common name, like Ping or something. The shadows were beginning to lengthen and she was wasting time.

She got out her saddlebags and took out a fresh change of clothes and her breast bands. She was unsure of how to wrap the bands about her chest, and it was slightly painful. Definitely something she wasn't used to. In the end she bent a solid slab of ice and stood to the side so she could watch to make sure she got them flat enough. When she was done she undid them, then did them again for practice. For some reason bending felt nice. At home she was often scolded for bending. Sometimes she found that if she did not bend for a long amount of time that her arms would almost burn with desire. She loved to bend the most. Her earth bending skills were close to nonexistent, air bending was a little better. Fire she used sparingly, but always with fascination and respect. Water invoked in her a kind of awe that was hard to describe. She loved the way her body responded to the water, shifting and flowing steadily, never loosing speed. Ice bending was a simple matter of adding breath to the motions.

Soon her chest was at the appropriate flatness and she pulled on her clean clothes. The next part was hard. Many men wore their hair long, but not as long as hers. It waved down below her but and shone healthily. Hair was one of the few physical things about herself that she took much pride in. And now, she had to cut it.

Desperately she wished she had another blade beside the sword, it felt wrong to use it to cut her hair. But it had to be done. She unsheathed the sword and the metallic _shing_ it gave out was ominous. Sitting in front of the mirror she sliced off a good two and a half feet from her hair. The tips barely brushed her shoulders in a depressed sort of way. She was very cruel to herself in not letting herself cry. She did however leave her trademark bags hanging in her face and tucked behind her ears. As she looked at her reflection she thought it didn't look too girly. If needed she'd come up with a spilt second explanation. She gathered all her murdered locks and tied them into a knot. Then she stood before the mirror and looked at herself. She looked more like a boy than a man, but she had a feeling she wouldn't be the only one looking too young.

She didn't try on the armor.

As day progressed into night Katara decided to build a fire. She gathered wood and ceremoniously she brought out her knotted hair for tinder. She felt horrible burning it, but it had to be done. As her fire smoked and crackled she noticed something across the fire from her. It was a cat. A big cat. With smoky brown fur and light blue eyes. It's tall ears were tufted and it's tail was short and bobbed. It was a lynx. The small big cats were known for their ferocity. A nervous smile twitched her lips, "Nice kitty."

"How expected. Well at least you didn't try and pet me like an idiot or anything." The cat said. Katara knew the cat said it. It's mouth moved as it formed words. They started at each other, Katara stupidly and Toph with growing irritation, "Trying to catch a fly are we?" Katara's jaw snapped shut.

"Are you a spirit?" Katara's hand went to her sword, though she had no idea what she was going to do with it.

"Now dummy, all us animals talk! Yes, I'm a spirit. I'm one of your family's guardian spirits." Katara stared at the cat for a second before her eyes lit with a flash of intuition.

"The incense cat!" she proclaimed.

"Very good." Toph said with true approval.

"Have you come to take me home?" Katara challenged.

"No." Toph said as she licked a paw of some invisible filth.

"Have you come to kill me for shaming the family?" Katara asked again, but a hint of a tremor in her voice. Toph laughed out loud.

"No. I'm here to guide you upon your quest." The cat spoke slowly and carefully, like someone speaking to a retard.

"Why?" Katara burst out, "I'm doing something very wrong! I thought guardian spirits were supposed to guide you a long the path of righteousness. Sure this is not pious in the gods' eyes?"

Toph sized her up, "I was told to do it." She said. Let the human assume she was told by a god. A lot of time passed in which Katara was completely silent. Toph didn't disturb her. She walked over to the horse Appa.

_Are you willing to accompany your mistress on this journey? _Toph asked through the power of her mind. Horses were intelligent enough to understand and answer.

_Life at home is boring. I'd much rather do this than keep on pulling things. _The horse shifted his attention to Toph's butt. Confused Toph turned to see a very small monkey attached to her fur.

"Vile creature! Let go of me! You mat the fur of a celestial guardian!" Momo raised his head slowly. The run from Muigi to this distant forest was long and hard. He was exhausted from hanging on, "Let go!" Toph cried again. She was about to reach back and make a snack out of him when Katara's dark hand gathered up the monkey.

"Momo? What are you doing here?" he squeaked at her faintly.

"He says you didn't give him enough options so he made a new one. He wanted to be with you." Toph translated his faint squeakings, "I didn't know I had a mortal passenger." She muttered to herself. Katara nuzzled the little monkey and cradled him in her hands.

"At least I will not be alone." Katara said quietly. The fire died down and she smothered the rest. Then she went to lay against Appa, using his saddle blanket to cover herself. Toph climbed onto the horses' back and curled up there and Momo nuzzled against Katara's stomach.

In the morning when she would walk to the camp she would do it in the company of a huge horse, a foreign monkey, and a guardian spirit in the form of a lynx.

* * *

I'm not entirely pleased with this chapter. Let me start with this. It's late because I've been uber busy. Plus, Okami is a hard game to put down. I'm trying to dig my soul back out of my PS2 and failing miserably. I'm almost done, I'll be back on a normal-ish schedule once I finish it. I got money for a Wii for Christmas, so I've been trying to track one down. Which isn't hard. My boyfriend works for Gamestop and all the guys there like me. I almost had one today, but it went to my boyfriend who hadn't gotten his yet…. I WANT MY FREAKIN' WII!

Anyway. The beginning was hard to write, the other stuff was more like, I knew it had to be put in this chapter so it was a matter of sitting down and writing it.

Also, here's my reason for writing this fic. If I get a hundred or more positive reviews on this fic I'm going to start writing my original story for the purpose of getting it published. It is nothing like anything I've ever written and I love everything about it. But I need the assurance that someone out there likes my writings. So I'm workin' hard for it. Don't worry though, I'm going to finish this before I start writing.

Hidden Stuff

When Katara complains about plain names she offers the name Ping. Which is the name Mulan chose in Mulan.

Hei-Bei is the panda spirit that Aang meets in the Winter Solstice and again in the Northern Water Tribe.

The stuff Hei-Bei says about spirits is something I totally bullshitted.

Katara's hair annoys the shit out of me in the show. She has it in the intricate bun, that looks like it's been wrapped several times and then it's braided. Even with all that it swings down around her butt. But when it's down it becomes… shorter? Yeah, Katara's hair should be to about her knees.

Toph is a lynx, which is in my mind a very good animal form for her. A dragon just didn't fit her and seemed a little too redundant. I really struggled with her eyes, but decided to go with light blue, like in the show. She can communicate with animals and has a few powers, which will be revealed later.

Here's to hoping that I can get the next one out on time. But please remember, I'm in college, so I've gotta sign up for spring classes and go to work. I'm not Wonder Woman… I'm Supergirl (That's one of my many nicknames)


	4. Captain Zuko

Rated T for violence and language. I don't own Avatar or Mulan.

A note before I begin. Katara is sixteen years old, but because she is smaller and shorter that the other men she's pretending to be much younger. Zuko is nineteen years old, Sokka is twenty, Aang is sixteen, and Jet is seventeen.

Behold! The introduction of Zuko! Squee, I'm excited. So I bought Mulan of two disc DVD, the deleted scenes are good. Especially the alternate opening for the movie, which had me rolling off the bed in laughter… heh heh pigs.

**Chapter Four**

**Captain Zuko**

"Hey there boy. Lookin' a little skinny there." Katara twitched as a tall man with thick bands of muscles pinched her arm, "You can't be more than fourteen years old." The man wore the uniform of a seasoned warrior, obviously her superior and far stronger anyway, "Don't look so depressed." Another soldier said quietly, "I know this seems very scary, but I have a feeling you'll do just fine." The first man said as he slapped her on the back and she stumbled forward. She'd met with the men as she was walking into the camp and they were leaving. They'd teased her a bit but all together she thought they were nice, especially considering the situation. She waved as she led Appa into the camp and silently hoped she would see them again. Nice people didn't deserve to die, though they often did.

Their kindness, however, did nothing to dispel the butterflies in her stomach. Sleep last night had been horrible and full of nightmares. And the worst part was the lynx Toph. She didn't seem like a normal guardian… not that she had met many guardians. But she was rude and sarcastic to the point of being cruel. Getting up and eating breakfast this morning had almost left her in tears, but she was determined not to shed a single tear from here on out. Toph was riding on Appa's back a long with Momo who sat between her ears. Katara led them all, her hands resting on Appa's mane. She had him by his reins as well, but his thick mane hid her shaking hands well.

Just before she walked into the camp she stood up straight, squared her shoulders and walked forward with a blank face. The camp was a maze of tents, horses and men. Many seemed to have been there for a few days and Katara watched as they mingled amongst each other talking and laughing. She knew that if a bunch of girls had gotten together like this there'd be blood everywhere. But the men seemed at ease with each other, laughing easily and calling loudly across the roads that the tents were lined on. A chicken fluttered over Katara's head making her duck, but not diverting her from her duty. Behind her she heard a man call out, "Get that chicken before I starve!" Two different men called out battle cries as all three ran behind her to get to the escaping poultry. A few minutes later the noise of the camp was sliced through by, "MY CABBAGES!"

There did seem to be some order to the pathways and soon she found herself standing before a desk with a ruffled looking man sitting behind it, "Curse these new recruits, my poor cabbages." He looked up at Katara with a scowl, "May I help you?" he snapped.

"U-u-um." Was all she managed. Toph slapped her forehead with a paw.

"Transcription notice." He said as he held out a hand. Numbly she handed it over to him. He flicked it open and scanned the words there before stopping on the family name, "Hua… as in Hua Hakoda?"

"Yes sir." She knew this would be a problem. Her father was famous in the army for his fight to save Bato.

"I didn't know Hakoda had a son." He said to himself, "What's your name."

"Lu Ten, sir." Suddenly the people around them went quiet and turned to stare at her. She'd thought it was a simple enough name, one of the very young boys in her village was named Lu Ten.

"You'd better be telling the truth boy." The man was looking at her fiercely, Katara trembled. Did she sound too girly? She already had a deep voice for a girl and she'd pitched it lower.

"I am, sir." Now her voice was trembling too. Appa stepped forward and put his nose on her shoulder. The weight was comforting.

He continued to stare at her, "I am Tong, the Emperor's personal assistant. He's assigned me here to watch over the new captain and recruits. Report at sunrise tomorrow morning right here. Do you have a tent?" Katara nodded. The men she had met had given her one, though she suspected it was riddled with holes, "Clothes? Armor? Good." He said as Katara nodded to every one, "There's nothing going on today. Pitch your tent and relax. Training doesn't start until tomorrow. You're dismissed." He said as he handed back the transcription notice. She stood there and stared at it. She'd spent two days without sleep or eating fretting over that?

Suddenly someone came up beside her, "Sorry about your cabbages Tong." Said a casual voice. Two others echoed his. Why hadn't she recognized it earlier? She turned her head slowly to look at her brother in horror. Oh gods it was Sokka! She had no idea who his companions were but all that mattered was that there was someone here to spoil her secrets.

"I don't want to hear it. Ever since you get here a day ago you've caused nothing but havoc." Yup definitely Sokka. Tong shooed them away and the four of them stood in the middle of the camp.

"Hopefully we won't have to endure any meals with cabbages in them now." Said the bald one. Sokka and the other nodded in unison, "What's your name?" he said turning to her.

"L-l-l-Lu Ten." She spat out as she turned away to leave.

"Whose he?" Toph asked from Appa's saddle as Katara did her best not to run away too quickly.

"He's my older brother." She said as she ran panting.

"You don't have a brother… oh. I remember him. The little troublemaker that moved in with your family a while back. He drew a mustache on me once and you got angry and wiped it off." Toph purred from on top of Appa, "I think I'll call him Snoozles." Katara shot a glare from over her shoulder, "Don't worry. I'll think of one for you too."

"That's not necessary." Katara said coldly. She was looking for a campsite that was faraway but still close. No one had given her directions as to where to pitch her tent. Finally she found a nice spot just underneath a tree and with the closest tent twenty feet away, "I have no idea how to pitch a tent." Katara said as she unloaded stuff from her horse. She put on Appa's halter and tied him to the tree on a twenty-foot lead. Then she unloaded the tent and spread out the fabric, she was surprised to see no holes, though there were a few potential ones. Next she pulled out the poles and ropes and stared at those. She would not ask for help, she'd rather die than ask for help.

"It won't just hope up and put itself together you know." Toph said from her feet.

"Be quiet please." Katara said as she walked in a circle around it.

_She's always like this when she's trying to figure something out. Watch her it's humorous._ Appa called out to Toph. Momo agreed, having transferred to Appa's head. Toph walked over to them and sat to watch Katara. Five minutes passed. Ten minutes passed. Twenty minutes passed. After a while they gathered watchers. After nearly an hour of observing her supplies she sat down and put the tent together… sort of. It worked at least. Katara could stand up inside and the breezes that danced through the camp didn't knock it over.

"That was some process." Toph commented.

"I just wanted some prospective." Katara said as she walked over to her saddlebags. But they were gone. In their place was a pair of feet, then legs, a stomach, a chest, and a very angry face; the angry face of Sokka.

* * *

As Katara left the company of men one turned to another and said, "Getting younger and younger aren't they, Usui?"

The blonde haired man with startled eyes walking in front of him answered, "Next thing you know one of the required traveling supplies will be to bring your own diapers." The brown hair man behind him laughed darkly.

"This is just how war is." He answered.

Usui turned to him, "How did Sakura take the news?"

"How did Karin take it?" Shaoron shot back. Usui scratched his head in an embarrassed way without looking at his comrades, "Don't worry, they'll keep each other company." Shaoron said as he checked to make sure his sword was loose in it's scabbard.

"It's hard not to worry. And not just about women. I worry about myself too." The speaker was the first man to talk. A black haired man with slightly wild eyes, "I never even intended to stay in Avatar long, much less become a citizen." He mused.

"I never intended to marry Sakura." Said Shaoron. He'd told the others about the huge fights they'd had before falling in love, "I'm not sure about the gods of your world, Issun. But the Avatar gods of Fate are cruel." The three men nodded enthusiastically.

"We'll be fine with general Zhao leading us. He hasn't lost a battle yet." Said Issun, "Though, I've heard that this Ozai guy is borderline psychotic."

"Well so am I." all three men jumped as Zhao abruptly came riding up to them on the back of his black charger. He smiled down at them with a wild gleam in his eyes, "Besides. By spring we'll have fresh fighters from Zuko."

"He's a little young to be training isn't he general?" asked Usui.

"He is, but he's very good. One of the best men I've turned out." Zhao said confidently, "Besides. It was Emperor Iroh that gave him the title of captain. I only encouraged him afterwards."

"That guy we just passed will probably be sent home." Shaoron mused to himself.

"Zuko was about that big and old when I started training him. He'll do just fine. I can tell by his eyes. Blue." Zhao said knowingly.

"Blue, sir?"

"Yes, blue. Means he got lots of water in him." The men snickered and Zhao glared at them, "Water is a very honorable element. It is the element of change. It flows constantly until it hits a block. It either goes around it, finds a new course or my personal favorite… blasts it's way through." They all thought about this to themselves, quietly agreeing.

They were marching towards the mountains, where Ozai and his army had reportedly been heading.

* * *

"Hello." Sokka said darkly. Katara stared at him in horror. Not even two hours and he'd already figured it out?! She knew it would be difficult to do this around Sokka but was she really that bad?

_Breathe, _Katara told herself, _all he did was say was hello and glare at me. Maybe I pitched my tent in an offensive manner. Yeah yeah, that's gotta be it!_

"I like your horse." He said reaching out a hand to Appa. The dappled grey horse flicked his ears back and forth and proceeded to try and bite his hand. Sokka pulled back in time, "Reminds me of my little sister's horse. He always tried to bite me. Same colored coat, same demented eyes." He looked at Katara, "You have the same eyes as her as well." Katara looked at him, but found herself avoiding his own blue gaze.

They stared at each other for an immeasurable moment as Appa, Momo and Toph looked on, "I'm sorry if I bring up painful memories or something." Katara said in her boy's voice.

Sokka thumped his fist against the tree so hard it let go of the rest of it's unshed blossoms. They floated down all around them, "What the f are you doing here?!" Katara jumped several inches into the air, "You're supposed to be at home with your mother and Suki. Where's Hakoda?"

"I wasn't about to let father come here alone!" she said, trying to maintain her voice.

"If they find out you'll be killed!" Sokka shouted as he turned red in the face.

"IF!" she shouted, "With father coming there would be no if. He WOULD have died. No questions."

"I could have protected him." Sokka said uncomfortably.

"And then what? You'd be injured like him? Then we'd have two injured men in the family. A lot of good that does us." Toph was smiling to herself enjoying the fireworks. The only reason no one had come to stop the fight was because of the small barrier she had erected around them.

"A lot of good you would do us dead!"

"A lot of good I do alive." Sokka raised his hand as though to slap her but stopped himself.

"You think you're worthless?" he asked in his most sarcastic voice.

"I know I am. I do nothing. And now I'll never marry. No man in the valley would marry me." She said stubbornly, "I'm not leaving."

"You don't belong here!" Sokka shouted.

"Well I don't belong at home either. Please Sokka." She took a deep breath a looked away, "If you expose me they'll kill me. Then they'll drag father out here and he'll be killed. If I can keep up this charade then at lest dad doesn't die. And maybe if I give every penny I own to every shrine I pass, I'll be able to crawl home when the war is over. Plus, I have my own hand in assuring the return of Suki's husband."

Sokka stopped and looked at her, "We only just found out too." He said wistfully.

"You will go home!" Katara said fiercely, "I'm going to personally make sure of that."

Blue eyes met and held each other, "Fine." He said at last, "But I'm yielding only because I see no way out of this." Katara sighed in relief, "I'll move my tent closer to yours. I'll help you cover up your secret, but that's it!" Katara nodded in agreement and watched as he walked away.

"Not even here two hours and someone already knows our secret… we're screwed." Toph said loudly and Appa and Momo chorused their agreement. Katara stuck her tongue out at them, but was secretly glad. She felt so much better with Sokka knowing, because it was one less person to question her and one more person to help her.

--

The next morning consisted of Sokka unraveling her from her covers rather forcefully and then him shoving porridge in her mouth. It tasted disgusting. She dressed in just shirt and pants by Sokka's command and stumbled into the training yard. Toph followed them. Lined up were thirty odd men with uncertain faces. Katara knew this wasn't the only training camp, and that men who had already gone to battle were marching towards the mountains. Had her father come, he would have gone with the soldiers she met yesterday.

Her and Sokka were among the last to arrive, the final count was almost forty. They stood in line next to the two men Sokka had been horsing around with the other day. One was a shaggy haired man with a straw in his mouth; the other was really a boy, a monk to be precise. It seemed as though their instructor had yet to arrive, so everyone was talking quietly while staying in line.

"Hey, you're that boy from yesterday." The bald one said, "Do you and Sokka know each other?" he had an arrow on his head and hands and feet. Katara suspected that they wrapped around his body.

"Yeah, we've known each other since we were kids." She said instantly. Sokka glared at her, "I've never seen you before." She said to him while also casting a glance at the shaggy haired man.

"I'm Aang! I'm a monk from the center of the valley." Katara knew that there was a monastery on the lake in the center of the valley. She heard rumors that it was actually on the lake. He stopped and turned to look expectantly at the man.

"I'm Jet from Yoroido." He answered simply.

"I met them on my way here." Sokka explained.

"How come you came so late?" Aang asked with wide gray eyes.

"Sokka's wife came to stay with my family. I was helping to get the house in order before I left." Katara answered, "My name's Lu Ten." She wanted to remain as honest as possible.

"We heard." Jet said as he grit his teeth.

"What's wrong with my name?" Katara said in a slightly threatening way.

All three looked at her, as though unsure if she was teasing with them, "Lu Ten was the name of the boy who found the barbarian army. But he was shot and killed just short of delivering the message. His friend had to do it." Katara, and an unseen Toph, did a jaw drop in unison.

"I had no idea." She whispered.

"Just our luck." Toph muttered.

"Soldiers!" a stern raspy voice cut through the low buzz and caused everyone to be silent at once, they all turned towards the voice and Katara saw who their commanding officer was to be. Trailing insignificantly in his wake was Tong. But the man rather out shined him. He had black hair that hung over the left side of his face hiding surprising golden eyes that danced like dying embers. His skin was pale and stretched taunt over lean but powerful muscles. A breeze danced down towards him to lift his hair from his face to reveal a horrible burn mark over his left eye, no wonder he kept it hidden. Something about his presence invoked fear into her heart. Pale skin and golden eyes, tell tale signs of a barbarian.

He stopped before them all and surveyed the line, "You will assemble here every morning, at dawn, silently." Gulps were heard all around, "I am Zuko… Captain Zuko. I've been charged with training you. You will learn many things here, battle tactics, mapping, hand to hand fighting, fighting with a weapon and bending. Lots and lots of bending." He looked up and down the line again with curiosity this time, "How many of you fire bend on a regular basis?" Just about all the men raised their hands. Katara and Aang were among the few who didn't, "How about earth bend?" some hands went down, "Air bend?" Aang shot his hand into the air, "And water bending?" nearly everyone put their hand down. Katara put hers into the air. She was actually quite good at water bending, but nothing like for fighting, "You will learn each element, starting with the basics." Many men groaned, "I do NOT want to hear it!" Everyone looked at him in surprise, "All four elements will be learned. I don't care if you think water is a sissy element." Katara frowned at that.

"This is the Emperor's attendant, Tong. You are to treat him with respect as a commanding officer. If he tells you to do something, then you better do it." Tong looked at them all with an evil glint in his eyes, "Everyday we will meet here in the morning and begin exercises for the body, then we will run. A lot. Then you'll get a break for a quick lunch. Next we practice hand-to-hand combat and bending. Finally we end with discussing battle tactics." It was a lot to squish into one day. This wasn't going to be easy by a long shot, "There is a challenge that I am going to issue. Follow me." He began to walk away and they followed him to a small lake outside of the camp. It was very still, casting a perfect reflection of them all, "During your training you will learn many bending techniques, both basic and advanced. If you follow my instructions, and practice religiously-"

"When will they have time?" Toph asked.

"-Then soon you will be able to do great things." He turned around to show them an arrow. He held it up over his head so everyone could see it. Then he spun and strode towards the lake. As his foot hit the water it did not sink, instead it was as if he had taken another step on dry land. He strode out across the water walking quickly and causing few ripples. Everyone went deadpan silent. When he got to the center of the lake he took a wide stance on the water and raised up a column of earth. It went up and up and up and up with him on top until it was a good fifty feet above the lake surface. Now they had to strain to see what he did, but Katara's sharp eyes saw that he froze arrow into the top of the column before his stepped off into the air. But instead of falling like a rock he drifted and came to land at the exact point he had stepped into the water.

"It's quite a distance to the center of the lake, and that column is completely smooth. The ice will be renewed everyday. If you want to take my challenge, then you are to cross this lake, climb the column, release the ice and fly back down here, while I witness it. You are not allowed to use any tools but your hands and you cannot get wet."

"I thought he was supposed to be training you guys, not driving you to suicide!" Toph said loudly. It was obvious that no one could hear her, "That's it! There is no war, this is just a scheme to drive down the population." She muttered to herself. Katara bit her lip to keep from laughing. Zuko lead them back to the training grounds where he proceeded to take his shirt off. Katara dug her nails into her hands to keep from turning bright red.

"Now I want you to breathe." He said. Within a week everyone had learned to hate those words.

* * *

Haaa. Breathing… poor Aang. Yeah this is uber late. And I'm uber busy. My best friend is going back to collage (sob) and I'm trying to get signed up for my classes. My boyfriend's mother is on the warpath with me (when isn't she) and I got stuck in a rut. But I just got to spend a good hour by myself in front of the fireplace and found myself writing. I love fire. I'm a total fire nation girl. In fact I almost always come up Azula in quizzes. Azula or Katara. I'm not as ruthless as Azula but I'm about as bossy and by

Anyway, this was a rather dull chapter. I feel like I kinda rushed Sokka finding out about Katara, but then he needed to know before their first day of training. Because, unlike in Mulan, Toph does not have random knowledge of the army and it's in's and out's. So Sokka needed to be able to help her a little. The next chapter will have some fun action in it. I must admit though, I had a fun time writing Zuko's entrance. I was a little nervous about it.

Hidden Stuff

Tong. In the episode, Avatar Day, I got rather twitchy with governor Tong's voice. Then I realized it was the Emperor's attendant from Mulan. He was going to be the Cabbage Merchant, but I mean come on! The same voice actor man! So I squished them together a little. Basically, Tong grows cabbages.

The three men in Zhao's company are Usui from Karin. Which is an awesome anime about a vampire that makes blood. Usui is Karin's love interest. Shaoron from Card Captor Sakura. I have a mad obsession with that series. And Issun from Okami. Issun is an important character later. So remember him.

I can't believe I haven't touched this yet. Mulan is an actual Chinese myth involving a girl named Hua Mulan. There's an actual Ballad called the Ballad of Mulan and it a very popular traditional story. So I gave Katara's surname as Hua and titled to story the ballad of Katara.

Zuko did not get his scar in a freak father involved incident.

You may have noticed Toph being able to talk with Appa and Momo. Well, Katara can't. Toph will translate for her, but Katara cannot understand them. Also Toph displayed the ability to cast barriers. It a rather low level one. It doesn't hide the containees. It merely looks as if they're doing something innocent, like talking about Appa or something. When Toph talks to Katara with other people around, Katara can talk back and no one will notice.

So there it is. Music this time around? My anime playlist and some Delirium. My library on iTunes got erased (sob) so I have to plug in my iPod to listen to music. Which isn't all that hard. But building my database all over again is a daunting task. Also, I finally got my best friend to watch the series (I own the complete first season box collection) and she's become a hardcore Zutara fan. I didn't even have to do much either. It totally rocks. We have my boyfriend convinced that we've joined a cult. Peace out guys.


	5. We are Men

I don't own Avatar

Ah confusion. Let me clear up Katara's actions in the last chapter. She did not immediately fall in love with Zuko and his hawtness. She's never really seen a man without his shirt on, so she got embarrassed by that. Believe me, by the third day of training she's totally over it. Hopefully this chapter will be good cause I'm looking forward to writing it.

Last minute apology. This is late because there was an ice storm and we had no internet for a few days. Not to mention I'M FREEZING! Gods I hate the cold. If anyone is wondering, I'm totally Fire Nation.

Chapter Five 

**We are Men**

_Breathe in._

After two weeks life finally seemed to have settled.

_Breathe out._

No longer did Sokka have to come and wake her up in the morning. In fact she found herself waking him up nowadays.

_Breathe in._

She woke up on her own and grabbed a few strips of dried meat for breakfast. She now knew that eating a full breakfast was bad idea for impending exercise. Her tent was near Sokka's so she'd go and drag him out of bed before the two of them headed to the training grounds. It was now easy to not talk in the morning, in fact Katara found the silence inviting. Though she loathed the word 'breathe.'

_Breathe out._

Sometimes they sat and breathed, sometimes they stood. Sometimes Zuko had them stand in odd positions and breathe. After the sun had been up for a while he started them on exercises, stretching, push ups, sit ups and tai chi. All while breathing in a normal pace. He walked along while Tong tapped out their rhythm on a drum. He adjusted sitting postures and lectured them on the importance of breathing in everything.

_Breathe in._

"Breathing is essential in many things. Namely living." No one laughed, "With proper breathing you can run faster and longer, you can keep from having the breath knocked out of you in a fight, it can help you keep your head in tough situations." Zuko stopped to pinch the cheek of a man who had fallen asleep. This lecture was their first one they ever heard from him, they didn't fall asleep anymore, "Breathing is the key to bending in all elements. Without breath in fire bending you have no power. Ice cannot be created without a steady stream of air. You'll find yourself becoming winded in earth bending. And air bending of course becomes nonexistent."

_Breathe out._

Toph's favorite place to watch was from a pole at the edge of the field. Though she was far away, Katara heard everyone of her sarcastic comments. It made focusing hard sometimes. Though sometimes the spirit found herself breathing in time with the rest of them.

_Breathe in._

They never spent the same time on breathing lessons as the day before. Zuko liked to surprise them by suddenly grabbing Tong's drum and pounding on it hard, "Come on, get up! Time to run. Go. Go. Go. Go. Go. Go. Go!" then everyone had to get up and start running. Their first day they ran a lap around the campsite and then around the lake. That alone had been tiring. They'd come back around mid morning and had spent the time until lunch in an exhausted heap in the training grounds. Everyday their distance increased. And by the third day they all made a startling revelation. When Katara had lagged behind too much Zuko shouted to them all, while running backwards, "We don't eat lunch until everyone has gathered in the training yard! If you fall back then we have to wait for you to eat." Katara ran so hard she was towards the front of the pack when they reached the campsite again. There had been few occasions in which they'd had to wait on someone, and Katara was one of them.

_Breathe out._

After time panting like crazy and staring at the sun, which grew hotter everyday, they got to eat. Lunch was made at nighttime by whoever had cooking duties. Katara had yet to be assigned that one. Though the day she'd made everyone late she was forced to cover up the old latrines and dig new ones. Katara had made her own personal latrine a very good distance from the campsite where no one could find her. And anytime she felt like she needed a bath she did it in the dead of night, on the extreme other side of the lake, and very quickly too. Lunch was typically bland and tasteless since none of the men could cook well. Dinner was usually prepared at this time as well.

_Breathe in._

Then started hand-to-hand combat, Katara was very bad at this. Zuko paired them off himself and he seemed to like to pair her with extra big men. Anytime he introduced a new move he would perform it slowly many times over for them to watch and memorize before he let them try it. Also he showed them a new block for each attack. The roles of attacker and defender switched according to Zuko's whim. Anytime he saw a move being performed incorrectly he came over to correct it himself. However, Katara found out that if she asked him he would perform a move again for her to watch. This she did often while walking in a circle around him to see how his muscles moved and where each step landed him. Usually she could perform the move after that. She was happy that Zuko encouraged questions because she had a plethora of them.

_Breathe out._

There seemed to be no specific time to start bending practice. But Zuko would randomly order them to stand in line before launching into more lectures about the elements and how everything was connected. He focused a lot on fire bending which was hard for Katara. She became his example of a bad fire bender. He pointed out everything she did wrong and instructed the others not to do it. It was at these times that Katara learned something new about herself, she had a temper. She quickly learned not to retort back, but her blue-eyed death glare became famous. Katara redeemed herself during the water bending exercises though. Then she became the shining example of what to do. She reveled in learning fighting techniques for water bending and usually got the moves on her first try. Earth bending was fun though hard, the forceful and jerky motions led to sore muscles. Air bending was very fun. Aang shone at this time to the point where he was showing Zuko tricks that he didn't know.

_Breathe in._

Bending practice lasted until the sun went down. Then dinner was served and they all ate while Zuko lectured on battle tactics. He told them how an army could and should move, how to fight as an individual and ran through a number of scenarios for them. During this time he asked lots of questions of them, picking out random people to answer them. It was also during this time that he taught them how to draw a map, and how to read one. The lessons carried far after they were done eating and well into the night. By the time Katara dragged herself to her tent she had about four or five hours of sleep to look forward to.

_Breathe out._

Hiding her secret was hard. Her breasts ached like mad at being held back. The only time she dared release them was when she took a rare bath. And then she only took a few minutes to do so. During this time she washed her breast wraps and clothes. Pitching her voice had been hard at first, but now she did it without thinking for the most part. The fates had pulled a dirty trick and she'd started her period after the first week. Gods how she hated this wretched time of the month. Luckily she was done now, but her extra crabby attitude had left her slightly ostracized by everyone but Sokka, Aang and Jet.

_Breathe in._

Aang and Jet were great friends, even if Jet had a rather sick sense of humor. Watching Aang, Jet and Sokka left her in stitches typically. Aang was bright and cheerful and very easy to trick. Jet was quiet and intense with sudden bursts of sick humor that left her bright red. Sokka was his usual sarcastic self. Katara sat back and was quiet, every once in a while adding in her own comments and jokes. They sat together at lunch and dinner and they helped her to feel less desolate.

_Breathe out._

Momo was determined not to leave Katara alone. He remained unmovable from behind her hair, even when she ran. Zuko gave up on trying to get rid of him, the monkey was just too clever. And then again, he caused no trouble. As for Appa, apparently Katara wasn't the only one to bring a horse, there was a fenced off stretch of land for the horses that had been brought. Katara released him there so that he could run and eat. When ever they ran by in the morning he came thundering by and would keep pace at a trot until they left or he grew bored.

_Breathe in._

Toph was…

_Breathe out._

Toph was unusual. She helped hide Katara's secret and erected a barrier around her tent so that most of the men avoided it for no apparent reason. Katara knew that Aang had to be a powerful monk because she often caught him staring in Toph's general direction in a confused manner. Many times Katara asked what Toph's purpose was there, but the lynx just gave her vague answers that confused the matter even more until one day she just snapped out, "I really don't know." Katara had a feeling that Toph wasn't happy and didn't want to be there. She just let the spirit go about her not-so-merry way.

_Breathe in._

Katara found herself enjoying most aspects of her new life. She did not miss pouring tea, she did not miss sitting around and feeling useless, and she definitely did not miss wearing makeup.

_Breathe out._

She did miss her family however. She missed Grangran's antics, she missed her mother's kind embrace and her father's wise words and listening ears. Her and Sokka constantly wondered about Suki and how she was doing. Was she already showing, were her emotions going crazy, what would the baby be? It was a painful topic for Sokka and Katara felt bad because she couldn't hug him. All she could do was lay a hand on his shoulder and squeeze it, and even that was seen as being rather girly.

_Breathe in._

All in all Katara was at ease. Her new life was difficult, but rewarding. She had developed muscles and good reflexes. She felt the healthiest she had felt in a long time and had fun being challenged daily.

_Breathe out._

The sound of a drum being beaten ruthlessly reached Katara's ears and snapped her from her trance. Immediately her and everyone else surged upwards and took off running after their captain. She shook her head to dispel her fantasies and let her body fall into the easy rhythm of running.

* * *

Once a week Zuko let them out of battle tactics early to give them some free time. They'd only had two such nights thus far and the first night had been spent with some much needed bed rest. But the second night Jet, Aang and Sokka had insisted that she stay up and hang with them.

"Come on! It'll be fun. Just the four of us chillin' and telling stories, or something." Jet had insisted with a glint in his eye. Sokka and Aang made puppy eyes at her from behind Jet.

"Or something?" Katara repeated; they shrugged at her. She looked at them with suspicious eyes, "Alright. But if I end up with a missing liver…" she said threateningly. They laughed and began to walk towards the lake.

"This is a bad idea Katara." Toph said, appearing from thin air.

Aang shivered and looked around, "Stay at the tent if you don't want to come." Katara said coldly ignoring Aang's reaction. She was becoming use to Toph appearing and disappearing. Toph flipped her nub of tail at Katara and walked away.

The four of them walked around the lake, laughing and talking about home. Katara had a hard time fabricating truth on the spot and often kept quiet at these times. Aang told stories of the monks who had raised him from birth, about Monk Gyatso, his father figure, and how the two of them found ways to have fun in what was supposed to be a strict and rigid environment. Jet spoke about his friends in Yoroido. She started a little when he mentioned Longshot before remembering that Longshot had not always been in Muigi.

The only time she spoke was when Sokka was telling stories, she added her own comments, the two spoke of Suki and her parents. "Cabbages?" Sokka stopped mid stride to sniff their air. He began to walk around until he stumbled on a patch of cultivated land in which grew cabbages.

"That nose of yours scares me." Katara said in dry voice, "This is probably Tong's cabbage patch. I vote for avoid at all costs." She said as she stepped back and began to walk towards the trail.

"I vote cause chaos." Jet said as he cracked his knuckles.

"I second that." Sokka said. Aang and Katara exchanged glances. Jet and Sokka were the known troublemakers in camp, and Katara and Aang were usually lumped with them as accomplices.

"Come on guys. Putting Tong's hand in warm water is one thing, messing with the man's vegetables is another." Aang pleaded. _Ah, _thought Katara, _so they did that. _Last week Tong had woken up with a scream girlier than her own.

"It's so boring around here." Sokka complained, "Just a little fun?" he asked holding up two fingers for a visual. Aang looked like he wanted to join, but his monk nature was holding him back. Katara crossed her arms and gave them hard looks.

"Fine, do as you wish, but I'm going home." The others shrugged and she turned and walked back to her tent. As she walked away she thought she heard a thousand tiny cabbage voices crying out in pain as they were squished and stomped. Normally, she would stop them, but she was so sick of cabbages at every meal.

"What? Was it that boring? Making friends isn't a bad thing Katara." Toph stated sarcastically from Katara's bedroll. Katara pulled her boots off and sat on her bed. Momo crawled over and sat in her lap.

"I know, but they were tempting fate and the wrath of Tong. I decided I don't need to get in trouble." Katara climbed under the covers and curled up.

"As much as I love a good prank, that was a wise decision." Toph said as she curled up on Katara's feet as she did every night. Katara laid her head back and fell asleep quickly.

--

"So it was YOU!" cried a loud nasally voice. Katara leapt several inches off her bed before crashing back down again. For a brief moment she had the disturbing pleasure of seeing her feet going _through _Toph who was still asleep. That'd had never happened before. She adjusted her blurry gaze on Tong and stared at him stupidly as he ranted, "You deliberately crushed my precious cabbages! Jealous. All of you are jealous because I have an amazing talent for something special and you don't!" he grabbed her foot and literally dragged her out of her tent.

"Toph! Help!" she cried in a whisper. But the lynx remained unmoved. As he dragged her she noticed Sokka peeking out of his tent and gave him the death glare of a lifetime. He looked at her with wide eyes and ran out of his tent.

"This is unacceptable. I'll see to it that you are properly whipped!" Katara's eyes widened. Tong always made good on promises, and being whipped required having her shirt off. Sokka stopped in his tracks and they locked eyes again. This time her eyes were wide fear and his matched. Suddenly Toph's head popped out of the tent and she raced over to Katara who was getting ready to be forced into a turn. Katara knew where they were going. Zuko's tent.

"What happened?" Toph asked in sleepy confusion.

"I don't know. For some reason he thinks I squashed his cabbages, but I left before the guys started anything!" she said as she clawed the ground, her back was starting to really hurt.

"You had some odd leaves on your boots. I wonder if you accidentally stepped on one." Toph mused.

"What's going on here?" said a cold raspy voice. _Shit._ Thought Katara. Cursing, another army bred habit that was blossoming.

"This soldier of yours destroyed my cabbages. I found cabbages leaves on his boots." He held one up for evidence. Zuko switched his gaze to Katara who looked at him with wide eyes. She shook her head vigorously.

"I've done nothing! I went for a walk around the lake last night, but I came back and went to bed immediately." She explained.

"Lies, all lies! Jealousy is an ugly thing and must be-"

"Silence Tong. Leave." Tong wavered but Zuko's golden glare caused him to double time it out of the tent. Zuko offered her a hand and hoisted her up, "Did you go alone." How much truth did she want to tell?

"Yes." She answered quickly enough. Too quickly, he held her gaze for a moment, but she refused to waver.

"Did you see Tong's cabbage patch?" he asked as he wandered over to his own bedroll. She noticed that once again his shirt was off. Did he have a problem with shirts? You'd think after two weeks of shirtless men she'd be used to it, but Katara still had to fight a blush around Zuko. None of the other men were as well toned as he was.

"Yes, but I gave it a _very_ wide berth." He nodded his head, "It was dark though. I could have stepped on one without noticing." She said looking down a little. She'd yet to get into trouble here, but she didn't like the look he was giving her. It was almost as bad as her father's disapproving glare.

"WAIT!" cried three voices at once. Zuko's tent flap was thrown aside again and Sokka, Jet and Aang came rushing in.

"We did it!" cried Sokka, "I was so sick of cabbage being in every meal so Jet, Aang and I pulled a prank! Lu Ten was there too, but he left before we started anything." Jet and Aang nodded enthusiastically behind him.

Zuko turned to Katara, "I thought you said you were alone." Katara lifted her head and held Zuko's gaze. They were her friends, she wouldn't rat them, even after they'd ratted themselves. The tent went dead silent as Katara and Zuko spoke volumes with their eyes, and Katara was surprised to find approval in his, approval of the loyalty in hers, "Go back to sleep Lu Ten. You three stay here." He said looking over her shoulder. Katara bowed and turned to leave, "Don't tell Tong, but to be perfectly honest… I hate cabbage." She smiled at him.

As Katara walked away her friends watched her go, and for some reason Jet found his eyes attracted at her butt. _I have NOT gotten enough sleep._ He thought turning his gaze back to their captain.

* * *

Toph stretched happily in the morning sun flexing every claw individually before stretching them all at once. She rolled her head and shoulders before noticing that her seat was very lumpy. Katara lumpy. Wait. Morning sun plus Katara equals very late!

"Katara?" Toph asked in surprise. Normally the girl was long gone when Toph woke up. But the blanket was pulled far over her head and she was shivering like crazy. Toph walked up and nosed her way into the covers. Katara was curled into a tight ball, her face taunt with something she didn't understand. Her skin was as pale as that captain's and she was freezing cold to the touch. Cold like death.

Quickly Toph nudged her so that she was lying flat on her back before jumping on her chest and touching fore heads. Toph plummeted into Katara's dark dreams. There were many voices crying out and horrible images that no sixteen year-old should have to see. And sitting in the middle of it all was Katara, curled into the fetal position with wide eyes. Toph stepped back into the waking world and lay down on Katara's chest. The poor girl was experiencing a spiritual crisis. Her new life had forced her into many odd and different situations, but she'd persevered through it all. And needless to say, she was enjoying her new life on some level. However, her old nature was stopping her from doing her best.

The tent flap was thrown aside and Sokka and Aang came inside, "She won't wake up. Captain Zuko is already mad that I was late." Sokka pulled back Katara's covers and stopped. Both men stared at Katara's pale form before Sokka whispered, "Go get Zuko."

* * *

I was sooooooo looking forward to writing this chapter. Oh so fun! BTW, Katara is not being a random sissy pants. Remember Zuko's spiritual fever? Yeah.

Hidden stuff

No Jet is not gay. I really didn't like Jet, in fact he pissed me off. Then the jerk goes and dies a noble death that makes me cry. So I'm punishing him in my fanfic, he finds himself attracted to Lu Ten and doesn't know why. I'm sooo evil.

I didn't really listen to music much either. I was pretty focused on writing this chapter. I just sat down and wrote like mad. Then I came back and repaired the ending from it's original crappiness. My best friend leaves tomorrow, so needless to say I'm pretty depressed. On the bright side I now know exactly what to get her for her birthday this year, w00t. Yes, that's right I r34d and sp34k l33t. I'm just cool like that. Or I've just read way too much Megatokyo.


	6. The Beating Heart of Time

sniffle I'm a bad little writer… in my defense I've been sooooo busy. The weather has been… awful here. Well… not awful but odd. It snowed like three times which is unheard of in Texas. So it was totally weird. School's been difficult and I'm working more hours (that's a good thing though.) And I got my Wii finally. So any spare time has gone into Twilight Princess. I'm almost done with that last one and I really wanna get the Avatar game for the Wii. You're supposed to get to actually use your bending abilities, so I'm excited. Anyway, now that my schedule has 'stabilized' I can work in more writing time.  
I don't own Avatar.

**Chapter Six**

**The Beating Heart of Time**

Aang tossed uncomfortably in his sleep. His dreams were dark and disturbing and he felt a great weight on his chest. Turning once again he heard something whisper to him from both human and spiritual realms, "You'll do." He felt something tickle at his ear and flinched awake. Stupidly he looked around his tent finding nothing, "You should know better then to look with your physical eyes." The voice giggled at him. He sat up and quested around his tent again, this time looking with his third eye and immediately spotted the guardian spirit sitting by his pillow.

"Hello." He said turning to look at it. It seemed to have several forms, but for now it presented itself as a lynx with blue eyes, "May I help you?" he asked politely.

A single furred eyebrow rose, "Do you know who I am?" her voice was more rooted in the human realm now.

"You're that spirit always hanging around Lu Ten." Aang reached over and pulled on his shirt, "Is he alright?" Lu Ten's guardian spirit wouldn't show itself for evening chat.

"No." she answered immediately, "He needs your help. In case you couldn't tell, this isn't a cold."

"I was wondering." He stood up and began to leave, but the lynx did not move to follow. Her blue eyes stayed trained on his face in a very serious manner.

"You may learn something you don't want to know." She told him seriously. Aang looked at her. Lu Ten's secret. He knew he had one, but he was far to kind to ask.

He knew what the spirit was implying, that the secret was a dangerous one that could get him in trouble. But he didn't even blink as he said, "I'd much rather have him alive." He ducked out his tent and into the night. Or the morning, he wasn't sure.

Lu Ten's tent wasn't too far away, though he'd never actually entered it. Sokka was standing outside for a breather. His face was pale and drawn, his eyes bloodshot, "Sorry Aang. No admission. Zuko says no one is allowed in until we figure this out."

"Move aside Snoozles." Said Toph in her usual haughty voice. Sokka looked around stupidly, "Down here genius." Sokka looked down at the lynx with disturbing blue eyes sitting at Aang's feet, "Come on Aang. Lets go." Aang quickly ducked behind a very confused Sokka and into Lu Ten's tent.

The poor boy was far to pale. Especially considering that he had a permanent dark brown tan from a childhood spent playing outside. Tremors shook his body violently rattling bones and spirit. There was _nothing_ natural about this at all. He closed his mortal eyes and felt the presence of many different gods, spirits and demons. Though only half a handful were active. They seemed to be watching, waiting. With his mind's eyes he looked at Lu Ten's body in the Spiritual realm and was shocked to see a yawning gap where a human soul should be. Was he really that sick? The darkness pulled at his own spirit, subtly at first, but then with renewed strength as he resisted.

Besides him Toph was digging her claws into the earth, "A lot has happened in the ten minutes I was away." She said loudly, "Come on, I'll go with you." And with that they let go at the same time into the yawning void of Katara's existence.

--

Aang looked down at what supported him and saw that he was standing in ankle deep water. It was black, like everything else in the odd realm, but he knew it was there. It was then that he realized that he was glowing, because he could see himself and Toph too. As they stood there for many immeasurable moments Aang became aware of noise, like a constant ticking in the back of his mind. Except that he heard it with his physical ears, Toph's ears twitched back and forth picking up the sound as well. As he paid more attention to it, it got louder. Soon he began to notice ripples on the water, lined with blue light. He watched the ripples in fascination as they traveled further and further away until they hit something. He looked up and saw a girl fifty feet away. No a woman, definitely a woman, but wearing a child's kimono. A kimono decorated with rabbits and moons. Her hair was back in a complicated bun and braid style, common of the people of the villages surrounding his monastery. At first she was looking downwards, but slowly she raised her head, as though only just realizing someone else was there and she looked at him with startling blue eyes.

As another beat sounded something swung in between them. As it passed Aang found himself looking at another blue eyed youth. Lu Ten. No. Not another. Those intense, almost wild, blue eyes. There could be no two pairs of eyes like that in the world. He was dressed in full armor though no weapons were on his person. Keeping Aang's gaze he flicked his wrists and from the water rose a sword and shield. Real ones, not ice or water. Slowly he turned his attention forward again. Now Aang knew the sound that he heard. It was time in the form of a heartbeat.

Another second passed and the same thing passed between them. Now Lu Ten stood with his company, Aang himself included. Though he continued to watch from the sidelines. There were all bristling with weapons, ready for a battle. And a battle there was. The heart beat again and Aang's vision was impeded for a split second again. There were now many enemies littered among his comrades. For a moment they all stood there, but the heart beat yet again, becoming faster, and the battle began. Swords were swung, shields shattered, and lives lost. Lu Ten fought bravely in the middle destroying all that came in his path. Around him stood Sokka, the other Aang, Jet and Zuko, fighting just as fiercely.

Aang watched as the tides of battle turned a countless number of times. People died on both sides, but soon it was clear that their side was winning. But too late did Aang notice the black panther that stalked through the forest of swords unharmed. He saw it just as it leapt for Lu Ten's throat.

There was a blinding flash of light and every enemy lay dead. But standing where Lu Ten had been, was the woman once again. The men all backed away from her in disgust, turning their backs to her. Sokka had to be dragged away. Desperately she ran to everyone, pulling at shoulders and screaming soundlessly for attention. When no one would listen she stumbled back to the center and sank to the ground. With a silent anguished cry she was encased in water that froze into crystal clear ice. Time stopped and no beats sounded. The men stood with their backs to the woman who no longer moved in her ice prison. In the moment of stillness new enemies crept in from the shadows. This time with three panthers at their lead.

The heart began to beat again. Slowly at first, then speeding up with adrenaline. The fight was nothing compared to before. Comrades fell left and right. Soon the men began to call out for the woman, their voices lost in the tides of battle. Sokka battled desperately against a small limber panther that danced away from his club and sword. Jet battle furiously with another panther that was testing his own natural quickness. The hardest thing to watch was Zuko lying pinned beneath the original panther, her white teeth inches from his soft neck. Suddenly everything went silent as Zuko cried out.

"KATARA!"

Katara's crystal cocoon exploded and speared all enemies with ice shards except for the panthers. She was dressed in new armor that fitted her feminine form and she wielded a silver chain with deadly accuracy. Aang watched as she took down the panthers one by one until only she and her comrades were left.

Quietly they all walked to her and kneeled, offering her their hands palms up. She pressed their palms one by one, and as she pressed Zuko's palm the world exploded into light once again.

_The visions you see before you are just that. Visions. Indeed they are of the future. But as you should know well, the future is not set in stone._ The voice was both great and terrible. Actually it was two voices and they made his mortal ears bleed. For humans ears are not meant to hear the voices of the gods so directly. Aang fell to his knees. He had no idea which gods theses were. There were two and they were powerful. Old and powerful. _The boy that lies before you is in reality a girl named Katara. She is destined for great things, but many obstacles stand in her way. Things with the potential to destroy her, the most formidable being herself. She lies sick because she no longer knows who she is. But there will be other things more deadly traps. _

"The panthers." Aang said thoughtfully. He felt approval radiate all around him. Unconsciously he slipped back into the mortal realm and found himself kneeling beside Katara's still sickly body. Sokka was sitting across the tent, fear evident in his eyes, but he knew Aang could help. Katara shivered hard, "Wake up Katara." Sokka's intake of breath was quiet but noticeable. She lay still, as though listening, "You know that this is stupid. Now wake up." her eyes fluttered.

"Katara?" Sokka choked out as her eyes flew open. Even as she sat up and looked around color returned to her skin and her eyes blazed in their blue glory.

"Oooph!" she muttered as Sokka tackled her, "What? Aang?"

--

"I see. So now you know." Katara took a long draw at her tea and looked around her tent. Toph was lying on her lap and she could have sworn she heard peals of purring from the lynx. Sokka and Aang were on either side of her.

"Toph warned me that you had a secret that I may not want to know. Though I never imagined you were a girl." Aang confessed.

"You went to Aang for me?" she asked the 'sleeping' spirit.

"Isn't that the incense holder from our family shrine?" Sokka asked.

"She's a guardian spirit sent to me by our ancestors. I didn't think she even liked me." Katara confessed as she rubbed her furred ears.

"I like you plenty Sugar Queen." She murmured between purrs.

"Sugar Queen?" Katara muttered.

Aang took a deep breath and everyone transferred their attention to him, "I promise, on my honor as a monk of the Southern Air Temple, that I will not reveal your secret." He said very seriously, "I'll do my best to protect you. Though it may not be much… my best that is." Katara smiled warmly at him.

"So, there are gods watching over me." She whispered into the silence.

"Powerful ones." Aang and Toph echoed.

"Is this a good or a bad thing?" she mused aloud.

"It depends. I couldn't tell which gods they were. They were old, very old. Possibly one of them is a beginner." Katara shuddered.

"Why?" asked Sokka. The retainers of gods were not known for their longevity.

Toph shifted her weight, "Like it or not, you're playing an important role in the country right now. We all are, but Katara especially so. Few women take such huge measures to rise above their positions-"

"I'm doing it for my father!" Katara squeezed Toph's ear a little too hard.

"Ow!" quickly she transferred to Aang's lap, "Don't be stupid. You're happy here. That's what caused the sickness. You're nature conflicted with your demeanor. You were so used to pretending to be happy, that when you met with real happiness you didn't know how to deal with it. Then the spirits and gods and demons came. Bothersome creatures. Don't know their place." Katara gave her a stare, "My place is here. Hei-Bei gave up his potential shot for stardom due to laziness and I got it instead. But I judged you wrong and treated you poorly."

Katara smiled again, "It's alright. Let's do our best to work together and get along. All four of us."

* * *

"Please, sir?" Katara begged silently. Beside her was Aang, Sokka, Jet and several other men all pleading to their captain, "It'll strengthen our bond as comrades!" she clasped her hands in front of herself.

"I already said yes, but I refuse to participate." Zuko said stubbornly.

"But you're the best Fire Bender in the camp. We need the best of each element." Katara herself was lined up as the Water Bender, Aang for Air, and Jet for Earth, "It's fun."

"Who's storytelling?" Zuko asked exasperated.

"I am." Said Sokka with a smile.

Zuko took a deep breath, "Alright. But I won't be made a fool." Everyone nodded in agreement. It was a hot night during the summer and Zuko had let them off early from lessons. Now everyone was preparing for an ancient past time. Storytelling with bending. Everyone gathered around the lake where it was cool and the full moon gave plenty if light. Four thins drapes were set up. A red one, a blue one, a green one and a white one. The storyteller stood in view to tell his story. Everyone took their respective places and they all began.

Everyone had important roles to play in the stories. Earth Benders portrayed the stories of everyday happenings, while Air Benders gave the stories atmosphere and played mythical creatures. Fire Benders bright fighting to life, while Water Benders played out love scenes.

First Sokka told silly stories to get the crowd interested, but soon he was telling longer, more serious stories until he got to a certain story. One few people knew. The moon was high in the sky and Aang was doing an excellent job of keeping the air very still to bring a heavy atmosphere to the small world by the lake. Katara, Zuko, Aang, and Jet listened intently to Sokka so as to pick up on which story he would tell next.

"Not many know this story, it is only one I heard passed down to me from other war firesides. This story is the beginning. The very beginning. About a time long ago when the continents were one, and all humans lived together as one giant tribe. At first, everyone was equal. Or at least as equal as humans get. But as time went on, and the tribe expanded, and they began to separate. Moving farther and farther away from each other to the corners of the land. No longer experiencing the same trials and tribulations, the people began to change. Not physically, but mentally, emotionally and… in other ways too." He paused dramatically. The four benders poised as their cues came up, "To the west rose strong stubborn warriors with the ability to command the Earth itself." Jet stomped his foot on the ground and a small group of miniature people stood facing the west. "To the east there came cold-hearted assassins who killed with Fire." Zuko jabbed with his fists and a flickering image of people of fire appeared to the east. "To the North came legends of free spirited monks who rose to enlightenment of zephyrs of Air." Aang made a circular motion with his hands and a cold wind blew from the north. Then he threw his voice into the wind he created to make the illusion that people were laughing far above them. "And to the south came kind healers who used the soothing waves of Water to do their work." Katara reached behind her and drew the water of the lake to stand to the south as figures in ice, "Of course there were normal people as well, people who couldn't control any elements. Back then; people could only use one element. As these countries expanded they began to bump boundaries. And there were small little fights over land and such."

Katara and Zuko turned people against each other, fighting through their elements. Jet and Aang held a fearsome mini battle, "Soon too many lives were lost. The Monks wanted to be left alone; the Water Benders couldn't keep up with the bloodshed. And neither the Earth nor Fire Benders would back down. People were dying left and right as little disputes became an all out world war." All four actors turned against each other and began to chip away and each other's figures mercilessly, "No one knows exactly where she came from. I can only tell you the story I've heard. That a Fire Bender and Water Bender fell in love and had a child. Then an Earth Bender and Air Bender." All but one person of each element melted away. Katara and Zuko worked hard together and soon a person, ice on the outside and a fire burning on the inside, was formed. Jet and Aang created and human shaped whirlpool with a stone heart that floated in the middle, "Neither of these children could bend, but somehow they found each other. Personally I think the gods had to do much interfering."

All four benders were focusing intently, keeping perfect motion and timing, "They found each other, and they fell in love. And they had a child. A baby girl." Zuko, Katara, Jet and Aang struggled to keep their elements in balance and made a person from all four elements. It looked oddly too human; "She had traits from every tribe, including the elements. As she grew up in a world with nothing but war surrounding her, she realized what her gift was meant for. In an impressive display of power she split the lands apart. Four spiraling mountains for the Air Benders, two cold islands for the Water Benders, a great and rolling mass of land for the Earth Benders, and a string of volcanic islands for the Fire Benders." The elemental girl split apart into her component elements. The Water surged to the north and south and became Ice, the Fire buried itself deep within the earth to the west and became smoldering red islands, the Earth rose to the east to become a combination of desert, plains, forests and mountains. Finally the Air Split into four spinning balls that hovered in all four compass points, "The girl saw that her work was not done and laid a deep and powerful spell upon herself and became the first Avatar." Sokka ended his tale and all four benders abruptly ended their magics. Silence hung in the air, as though everyone was waiting for more.

"That story." Said one soldier quietly, "Is it true?"

Sokka snorted rudely, "No. My father told it to me. But it's not true, just an old fireside myth. Only women believe such crap." He shot an apologetic glance to Katara.

* * *

Katara stood outside Zuko's tent wringing her hands nervously, a habit she thought she'd gotten rid of. _This was a mistake._ She told herself firmly and turned around to leave.

"I don't like indecisive people." Zuko's voice echoed from his tent. Katara jumped and turned around quickly.

"Sorry." She said, "I wanted to ask you something, but I'm a little embarrassed by it." She pulled open the tent flap and peered into the darkness. Zuko waved a hand and lit the room.

"Come in, Lu Ten." The flame in his hands separated and flew to several candles placed through the room, giving them sufficient lighting for so early a morning.

"I'm sure you've noticed." Katara began immediately, "My Fire Bending skills… are lacking… a lot." It was a stupid statement since he still used her for his bad examples, "I'm rather tired of you picking on me." Katara's shyness melted away and she looked him straight in the eye.

He met her gaze squarely, "And what will you do about it?" he challenged, unsure of what to expect.

"Ask for help." She answered, "From you."

"Why me?" he asked semi relieved. He was afraid the stubborn soldier might challenge him in some way. He'd have won of course, but they didn't need such strife.

"You're the best in the camp, and from what I hear, arguably the best in the army." She shifted her feet uncomfortably. Zhao's troops had returned a few times for rests from the war front. And she really enjoyed talking to the seasoned soldiers of his regiment.

"Arguably." Zuko pointed out.

"If you don't want to just say no. I can find someone else, but I'd rather learn from the best." She locked her hands behind her back.

"Let me guess. You want me to teach you fancy moves to outshine everyone else." Zuko knew this was wrong, but he wanted to hear the opinionated soldier's response.

"No." she answered calmly, psyching out her captain, "I want to learn the basics and catch up to everyone so that I'm not dragging everyone behind." Zuko gave her one of his few approving looks causing her to blush; luckily he didn't see it due to the low lighting.

"Alright, but I won't go easy on you. Meet me at the lake and hour before dawn and for an hour during midday break." They were now allowed two hours off during the extra blazing hours of noon, they made up for it at night when it was cool.

"Really? Thank you! I'll do my best." She promised quickly as she stood up and bowed. Soon Zuko left to begin his day and Katara went to the training grounds early to wait for everyone else.

"This is a mistake." Came a slightly angry sarcastic voice from seemingly nowhere.

"Don't be silly." Katara chimed, "My sickness taught me to be happy about my position in life. And I am happy, but I want to do my best. Zuko is the best Fire Bender and is experienced at teaching. I don't understand how this is a mistake."

"You like him." Toph said simply. Katara let out a snort of disbelief, "You're fine around everyone else with their shirts off, but Zuko still turns you bright red."

"He has a nice body." Katara said flippantly, fighting a blush, "Sure I like him. I respect him as my commanding officer." Toph gave her a disgusted look, "If you're so concerned then come with me in the mornings and play chaperone." She challenged.

"And get up that god awful early? I'd rather jeopardize the mission." She said with a flick of her nub tail, "In fact even this is too early. You'll be fine during the day, but watch yourself in the morning. Don't tell him anything stupid do to being loopy from sleep loss." With an over exaggerated yawn Toph made her way back to the tent.

Soon people began to arrive and Katara sat down and began breathing exercises to relax. But something hung in the back of her mind. _Why does Zuko alone make me blush so much? I respect him, sure. But there's something special about him. I should stay on my guard.

* * *

_

The beginning of Zutara. Aahhh. This chapter was rather hard to write. In fact there are three _very_ different versions of this chapter. The first one was alright, but I wrote it rather badly. The third one was a guilt trip and horrible. But then I was listening to this song and that's what the first part of this chapter is based on, a single song. Ballerina from State of Trance. I had a little trouble with the middle story. No it isn't true. But it's my theory of how the Avatar got started. Third part is an important component for coming chapters.

No Hidden stuff. It was supposed to be a serious chapter.


	7. Excuses updated!

OK, I've been getting a few comments about my lack of update… IT'S REALLY HARD TO WRITE WITH NOTHING TO INSPIRE YOU! Since the show is on such a hiatus I haven't been able to write anything avatar related. Have not abandoned this, I love it way too much, I'm just waiting for Season 3 to air. So far there is no official news about it. I think they had to do some revamping for Iroh's new voice actor (Mako-san! I love you work! Rest in Peace) mostly some recording and fixing up some animation. It takes a surprisingly long time. In the mean time I've been watching anime after anime. If you get the chance, watch Whisper of the Heart, is a Ghibli movie. But yes, I do intend to carry on with The Ballad of Katara it's just a matter of waiting. I'm sorry…. I'll mae a promise. As soon as I get confirmed word of the new season I'll do the next chapter. But until then I'll keep watching old episodes and being depressed about the lack of Avatar.

Update: ok, ok. I'll update... sob it's not that I don't want to... I'm just a loser...anyway, I printed out everything, I'm reading it, and I'm gonna start writing! I swear on my love for Zutara NAY! my Boyfriend of three years!


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